Gumleaf
January 27th, 2009, 05:05 PM
23:26 AEST Tue Jan 27 2009
Jelena Dokic's captivating Australian Open run finally came to an end on Tuesday night with a gallant quarter-final loss to Russian juggernaut Dinara Safina.
Bidding to become the lowest-ranked grand slam champion in tennis history, Dokic put up an almighty fight before succumbing 6-4 4-6 6-4 to the world No.3 in a two-hour, 19-minute thriller at Rod Laver Arena.
While Safina progressed to an all-Russian semi-final on Thursday against seventh seed Vera Zvonareva - who thumped Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-3 6-0 in her semi on Tuesday - Australia's born-again baseliner can look forward to a bright new future after a spectacular Open campaign.
In six heady days, and against all odds, the 187th-ranked Dokic has resurrected her career and restored order in her turbulent life with a series of emotional and lion-hearted displays - on and off the court.
Apart from being assured of a return to the world's top 100 for the first time since 2004, the 25-year-old picked up a desperately-needed $182,500 cheque - trebling her prize money earnings from the past three sorry seasons.
Dokic can also expect all sorts of endorsement opportunities to come her way in the wake of her heroic exploits at Melbourne Park.
Above all, though, Dokic can continue her astonishing revival from tennis oblivion and battles with family estrangement and depression with newfound confidence and belief that she belongs among the sport's elite.
While disappointed to have bowed out, Dokic said she could not have imagined her year would start in such sensational fashion.
"A lot of things still haven't sunk in," she said.
"I couldn't have asked for anything more. Physically, I was not in my best shape. You cannot be after a three-year layoff.
"But I played three sets with the No.3 player in the world. Everything is positive. I've had a great tournament.
"For me to get into a quarter-finals of a grand slam is a huge deal. I still think there's a lot of improvement."
Despite falling short of joining China's Jie Zheng (Wimbledon 2008) as only the second women's wildcard entrant to ever qualify for a grand slam semi-final, Dokic won universal respect and reconnected with the Australian public for baring her soul to reveal the depths of her despair trying to cope as the daughter of Mad Dad Damir.
Contesting just her second major in five years, the former world No.4 and Wimbledon semi-finalist notched consecutive wins over top-20 rivals Anna Chakvetadze and Caroline Wozniacki and overcame injury to outlast the seeded Alisa Kleybanova to become the third-lowest ranked woman in quarter of a century to make the last eight at a slam.
It took the best of Safina - who will rise to world No.1 if she lifts the trophy in Melbourne - to finally stop Australia's comeback queen.
After dropping the first set with service lapses in the first and ninth games of the match, Dokic raised hopes of another plucky comeback win when Safina nervously coughed up successive double-faults to gift the Australian the second set.
Safina regained her nerve to immediately break back in the opening game of the deciding set.
Again, though, the never-say-die Dokic refused to surrender and broke back for 4-4, only to send a forehand long to hand the break straight back.
The Russian then had to stave off two more break points to finally snuff out Dokic's challenge.
"It's a little bit disappointing," Dokic said.
"I had some chances, even in that third set, and couldn't hold my serve. Had a lot of game points in each game.
"Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don't. There's nothing to be disappointed about.
"I have to take all the positives and negatives out of today and really learn for the rest of the year about what I will do differently in a match like that."
© AAP 2009
Jelena Dokic's captivating Australian Open run finally came to an end on Tuesday night with a gallant quarter-final loss to Russian juggernaut Dinara Safina.
Bidding to become the lowest-ranked grand slam champion in tennis history, Dokic put up an almighty fight before succumbing 6-4 4-6 6-4 to the world No.3 in a two-hour, 19-minute thriller at Rod Laver Arena.
While Safina progressed to an all-Russian semi-final on Thursday against seventh seed Vera Zvonareva - who thumped Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-3 6-0 in her semi on Tuesday - Australia's born-again baseliner can look forward to a bright new future after a spectacular Open campaign.
In six heady days, and against all odds, the 187th-ranked Dokic has resurrected her career and restored order in her turbulent life with a series of emotional and lion-hearted displays - on and off the court.
Apart from being assured of a return to the world's top 100 for the first time since 2004, the 25-year-old picked up a desperately-needed $182,500 cheque - trebling her prize money earnings from the past three sorry seasons.
Dokic can also expect all sorts of endorsement opportunities to come her way in the wake of her heroic exploits at Melbourne Park.
Above all, though, Dokic can continue her astonishing revival from tennis oblivion and battles with family estrangement and depression with newfound confidence and belief that she belongs among the sport's elite.
While disappointed to have bowed out, Dokic said she could not have imagined her year would start in such sensational fashion.
"A lot of things still haven't sunk in," she said.
"I couldn't have asked for anything more. Physically, I was not in my best shape. You cannot be after a three-year layoff.
"But I played three sets with the No.3 player in the world. Everything is positive. I've had a great tournament.
"For me to get into a quarter-finals of a grand slam is a huge deal. I still think there's a lot of improvement."
Despite falling short of joining China's Jie Zheng (Wimbledon 2008) as only the second women's wildcard entrant to ever qualify for a grand slam semi-final, Dokic won universal respect and reconnected with the Australian public for baring her soul to reveal the depths of her despair trying to cope as the daughter of Mad Dad Damir.
Contesting just her second major in five years, the former world No.4 and Wimbledon semi-finalist notched consecutive wins over top-20 rivals Anna Chakvetadze and Caroline Wozniacki and overcame injury to outlast the seeded Alisa Kleybanova to become the third-lowest ranked woman in quarter of a century to make the last eight at a slam.
It took the best of Safina - who will rise to world No.1 if she lifts the trophy in Melbourne - to finally stop Australia's comeback queen.
After dropping the first set with service lapses in the first and ninth games of the match, Dokic raised hopes of another plucky comeback win when Safina nervously coughed up successive double-faults to gift the Australian the second set.
Safina regained her nerve to immediately break back in the opening game of the deciding set.
Again, though, the never-say-die Dokic refused to surrender and broke back for 4-4, only to send a forehand long to hand the break straight back.
The Russian then had to stave off two more break points to finally snuff out Dokic's challenge.
"It's a little bit disappointing," Dokic said.
"I had some chances, even in that third set, and couldn't hold my serve. Had a lot of game points in each game.
"Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don't. There's nothing to be disappointed about.
"I have to take all the positives and negatives out of today and really learn for the rest of the year about what I will do differently in a match like that."
© AAP 2009