Maryland, 27 July 2011 | AFP

Australian fourth seed Jelena Dokic, a former World No. 4 now ranked 54th, is readying herself to face China’s Zhang Shuai in the opening round of the Citi Open in Maryland.

Dokic, 28, won only one WTA match in 2010 but the former teen sensation’s comeback caught fire this year with a sixth career WTA title coming in February at Kuala Lumpur and a runner-up showing last month at ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Dokic lost to Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in the first round at Wimbledon and pulled out of two events earlier this month due to a hamstring injury.