Court says Dokic invitation a fatal error
^{The Sunday Telegraph - July 11, 1999 - by John Thirsk}

MARTINA Hingis made a fatal mistake by inviting rising star Jelena Dokic to spend a week at her Swiss home in the lead-up to Wimbeldon, according to Australia's greatest women's player, Margaret Court.

The winner of a record 24 grand slam singles titles and 62 major championships, Court said she had paid the same price when she invited another promising teenager by the name of Evonne Goolagaong to her home.

Court said she had predicted before Wimbeldon that Hingis would live to regret letting Dokic into her life and to see her emotional strengths and weaknesses so close to a major event.

It is now history that then world No 1 Hingis, 18, was humbled by Dokic, 16, Australia's newest tennis darling, in the first round at Wimbeldon, despite the fact Dokic had to win three qualifying matches just to advance to the main draw.

"I told my husband Barry when I presented the trophy to Steffi Graf after she won the French title that when Martina took Jelena into her camp and hit with her that Martina had better watch out," Court said yesterday.

"I remember doing that with Evonne (inviting her to my home).

"Evonne stayed at my home and trained and worked with me.

"I had never lost to her, I don't think I had even dropped a set, yet she beat me in the 1971 Wimbeldon final.

"It was a costly lesson in professional sport - and I think Martina has also learned that lesson."

Shortly before the French Open in May, Hingis invited Jelena and her mother Loliana to stay with her at the Hingis family home just outside Zurich.

Dokic said it was a wonderful experience.

"We hung out together and did what any to teenagers do," said Dokic. "We talked for hours, practised hard and did fun things too."

Despite losing to Dokic, the two remain close.

"Martina and I are still the best of friends," Jelena said." If we see each other at a tournament and if Martina asks me or I ask her to practise, there's no problem at all - we're still the best of mates."

But asked if she had spoken to Martina after beating her at Wimbeldon, Dokic said: "No, not really."

Court said: "I just knew that Martina, from purely a professional sporting point of view had made a mistake.

"It is a lovely thing to open your heart and help someone, but once you let someone into your life and to see your emotional side, it changes the nature of your relationship.

"And certainly, when you are competing at the highest level of professional sport, that is a big advantage to hand someone."

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