IN THE curious case of Slovakian-Australian Jarmila Gajdosova, the final decision rests with Immigration Minister Chris Evans, but on the first day of the Brisbane International the most positive local result was Gadjosova’s, which makes her Australian enough for now.
Granted permanent residency soon after her move from Bratislava to Sydney as a 16-year-old, Gadjosova is, like Russian Anastasia Rodionova, awaiting a special clearance for the citizenship she craves, and thus the passport she needs to play as an Australian at all tour events and not just the four grand slams.
As travelling professionals, neither is able to spend enough time in the country to qualify under the strict current rules.
Gajdosova will marry her Australian fiance, men’s No.278 Sam Groth, in Albury on February 3, which will help her case, eventually.
Until then, the AIS scholarship holder and world No.98 is a reluctant Slovak at WTA Tour events such as this one, and yesterday upset China’s Shuai Peng 6-4, 6-2 to extend her good form.
“As far as I know, it’s with the minister of immigration, and it’s up to him now to give me a passport and to pretty much agree — yes, no, yes, maybe,” Melbourne-based Gajdosova, 21, said.
“So we’ve done everything we could; and it’s really his decision now and Tennis Australia is very confident that the answer should be yes, of course, and I am very confident about that as well.”
While Groth had earlier registered a strong 6-3, 7-6 (6-1) qualifying win over Canadian Frank Dancevic on what Gajdosova called “the family court”, there was more good news than bad on the qualifiers’ scoreboard, with Peter Luczak and Joe Sirianni also advancing, but Davis Cup trio Chris Guccione, Carsten Ball and Robert Smeets all straight sets losers, Guccione 6-4, 7-5 to seventh seed Amer Delic.
Australian Open play-off winner Colin Ebelthite was eliminated by sixth seed Gilles Muller, while Greg Jones and Mark Verryth also bow out.
Sam Stosur’s first main draw match was delayed until today by a virus that forced the withdrawal of her opponent, Maria Kirilenko, meaning Stosur will open against Ai Sugiyama.