Injury, illness behind Jelena Dokic

Jelena Dokic says she's striking the ball better now than she was 12 months ago during her inspirational run at the Australian Open.

Australia's second highest-ranked female player behind world No. 13 Sam Stosur arrived on Thursday to launch her season at the Brisbane International.

The world No. 56 looks fit and healthy again after a season ruined by injury, a bout of glandular fever and news that her estranged father Damir was jailed for threatening to blow up the Australian ambassador to Serbia.

Dokic has been training hard over the break eager to not only repeat her remarkable Australian Open performance where she made the quarter-finals as a wildcard, but make it deeper into the Brisbane International.

The 26-year-old was knocked out in a tight first-round clash last year by the now retired Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo.

She faces a tough task in this year's event with the draw boasting a crack line-up including Belgian comeback queens Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters and Serbia's former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic.

But Dokic feels she's better prepared for the top players having worked more on her agility, serve and also her volley with coach Borna Bikic in recent months.

"I feel I'm hitting the ball well," Dokic said yesterday.

"I'm moving very well and my endurance is really good. I feel like I'm in much better shape than I was last year.

"I worked a lot at the end of the year to get my health in order and physically to be in shape. I did a good off-season so I feel like I'm ready."

Dokic is not the only Australian looking for form, with Casey Dellacqua also on the comeback trail after an indifferent season.

Ranked as high as No. 39 in 2008, Dellacqua is gaining fitness after shoulder surgery in February. "It was a long time away and it was a long year, but also a good year," said Dellacqua, who won all six matches at Melbourne Park last month to win an Australian Open wildcard.

"I was in Sydney (during Wimbledon) and I'd watch Sam (Stosur) doing well - it got hard sometimes and I'd switch the telly off, I was so frustrated because I wasn't there.

''But it was good motivation to know I would be back there the next year."

Despite a poor season, Dokic was still able to finish the year on a high by winning two ITF challenger tournaments in Greece and France.

Now she's eager for success on home soil.

"I didn't have a lot of time off. I tried to play as much as I can and tried to do as much as I could in practice to keep that momentum going," Dokic said.

"I finished last year 55 in the world playing half the schedule. If I can play well this year my goal is to be in the top 20."

Dellacqua said she is willing to go back to Futures tournaments next month to get her ranking up.