Marina Erakovic's chances of making it to the London Olympics have taken a blow following her first round exit to Austria's Tamira Pazsek at the Eastbourne WTA tournament in England.

In the final tournament before Wimbledon begins next week, Erakovic lost 7-5 6-1.

With an announcement on her Olympic selection expected on Monday, this defeat has done little to help her cause.

Even though Erakovic, ranked 45th in the world, has been accepted by the International Tennis Federation, the New Zealand Olympic Committee's strict rules on who they allow to go to London means she has to prove she is capable of making the last 16.

Her loss to world No 59 Paszek took exactly an hour and a half and it was a match the Austrian won despite getting only 48 per cent of her first serves in.

Put Paszek was able to come through in the crucial points, winning all seven of the break points against her.

Meanwhile, Erakovic has chosen to play doubles in Eastbourne, after giving it a miss in Birmingham last week and she will team up with Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn, who she has partnered with several times in the past.

They have been given the toughest first round draw possible and will tonight play the world's best ranked doubles players Lisa Raymond and Liezel Huber, both from the United States.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's top junior Emily Fanning has shot up to 43 in the junior world rankings after reaching the semi-finals of the Grade 1 ITF Junior Events on Clay in Germany.

Fanning, seeded 14^th, won three set battles in the round of 16 and quarterfinals before losing to Croatia's Adrijana Lekaj 1-6 6-0 6-1 in the semifinal.

Fanning and Australian partner Storm Saunders reached the doubles quarterfinal before going down to Egypt's Mai El Jamash and Victoria Rodriguez from Mexico1-6 6-4 7-10.

Despite the losses, Fanning who had a previous career high ranking of 50, now moves to 43 in the world for juniors.

Compatriot Cameron Norrie also reached the doubles quarterfinals at the same event.  Partnering up with Australian Harry Bourchier the pair reached the quarterfinals before suffering a 4-6 3-6 loss to China's Christian Garin and Jorge Panta Herrreros from Peru.

The Kiwi juniors now focus on the lead in events on grass prior to Wimbledon playing in the Grade 2 ITF in Germany and the Grade 1 ITF in Roehampton before heading to Wimbledon Juniors.

Fanning has direct entry into Wimbledon main draw with Norrie currently 10 places out of qualifying.

- © Fairfax NZ News