Molik may not get Australian Open 2010 wildcard

Former world #8 Alicia Molik and current world #197, who is making a comeback after a year of retirement, lost an opportunity to grab one of the wildcards for the 2010 Australian Open in Melbourne. She lost in the quarterfinals to Jessica Moore, ranked #221 in a tournament for Australian players to decide wild-card berths for the first grand slam of the new decade. Her current ranking may not be good enough for a spot in the qualifying tournament.

Molik will now have to rely on Tennis Australia if she is to compete in the first major of the year. I am hoping she gets it. This would be good for the tournament. Tennis fans like comeback stories and Australia would definitely be electrified again if Molik does well in Melbourne. Jelena Dokic was one of the hottest topics of the tournament earlier this year when she reached the quarters in 2009. Molik reached the quarterfinals in 2005 where she beat Venus Williams in the 4th round. She lost a narrow contest to eventual finalist Lindsay Davenport.

Tennis Australia ought to prioritize giving Molik a wildcard. Having won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics, and being the last Aussie to reach the top 10, she definitely deserves it. Probably more than Yanina Wickmayer does. Of course, I'm hoping both of them will be given wildcards. It will be a good situation with the fans too.