3 January 2011 | Tennis Australia

Samantha Stosur will open her Australian summer of high expectations on Monday looking to book a second-round Brisbane International date against friend Jarmila Groth.

Groth is lying in wait for the world No.6 after she disposed of Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2 7-5 in her first-round match on Sunday night.

The Slovak-born Melbourne baseliner has spent the pre-season training in Queensland, often with Stosur, and will be a tough second-round challenge at Pat Rafter Arena on Tuesday.

World No.42 Groth was forced to fight back from 0-3 in the second set against the Spaniard and was excited about the prospect of taking in Australia’s top-ranked woman.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said.

“Sam is a great player and it will definitely be an interesting match.”

Australia’s best hope of success at this month’s Australian Open, Stosur will be the headline attraction at her home tournament’s magic Monday line-up when she plays Czech Lucie Hradecka.

The second day of action features five Australians on centre court, as well as defending men’s champion Andy Roddick.

Among the local hopes on centre court will be teenager Bernard Tomic, who faces a tough task against seventh-seeded German Florian Mayer, and Jelena Dokic takes on Russian Anastasia Pivovarova.

Confident she is returning towards her best after an injury plagued 2010, Dokic sits in the same quarter of the draw with Groth and Stosur and could meet one of them in the quarter-finals.

She will follow world No.8 Roddick who meets Australian Open wildcard playoff winner Marinko Matosevic in the evening session.

Wildcard Sophie Ferguson is the other Australian in action, playing second-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer.

Sunday was another disappointing day for Australians in qualifying.

None of the Australian women made it to the final round of qualifying while only three of eight men – Peter Luczak, Greg Jones and Matthew Ebden – made it through the opening qualifying round.