TENNIS

Dasha promises to ditch ‘good girl’ routine at Open

HER lead-up form hasn’t been much to sing about, but Daria Gavrilova has made a vow to find her fight at the Australian Open.

Gavriola will headline the Australian women on day two at Melbourne Park when she takes on unseeded Slovenian Tamara Zidansek on Margaret Court Arena today .

The world No.41 suffered a pair of first-round defeats at the Brisbane and Sydney Internationals in the build-up to the Open, but says she is determined to hit back in Melbourne.

“Hopefully I will find the Dasha that everyone knows and be up and about,” Gavrilova said.

“It’s almost like I was trying to be the good girl and not show much emotion, and I lost myself a bit. Yeah, I’m not going to be that good girl anymore.”

Gavrilova, who has reached the fourth round twice in Melbourne, will meet Zidansek for the first time.

Samantha Stosur will also start her campaign at the Australian Open against Ukranian Dayana Yastremska on Melbourne Arena.

Stosur is hoping to progress past the first round at the Australian Open for the first time since 2015.

Fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic will meet Britain’s Johanna Konta on court 3, while Destanee Aiava will play America’s No.17 seed Madison Keys on Rod Laver Arena.