Particularly given the way she bludgeoned the highly-rated 18-year-old Wozniacki, a performance reminiscent of Dokic's great teenage triumphs. Back against the wall after losing the first set, and seemingly set to be dismissed by a younger, fitter opponent, she employed both the big shot-making and tough temperament that had seen her shock the world when she beat top seed Martina Hingis at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old qualifier in 1999 - the type of unerring tennis the world had been deprived by the breakdown that followed Dokic's estrangement from her controversial father Damir.Now, perversely, Dokic believes the meltdown that followed her teenage triumphs might be helping her return to the top. "I got on tour so early and having those few years off … I was really struggling with things," she said. "But I can now say I think I really matured and it might help me on the court to have those couple of years [of turmoil]."
While Dokic has spoken with unusual candour here about her father's role in her sad decline, after last night's victory she felt obliged to apologise for the times when she had not helped her own cause. "Sorry for being a pain," she said to a crowd who made it clear they did not feel she owed them anything more that the entertainment she had provided. "No," she continued. "I really made things difficult at times."The 26-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald she was “pretty lucky to be here” after a tumultuous family life that saw her abandon Australia and then return after splitting with her father, a former boxer and Belgrade taxi driver.“I’ve been through a lot worse than anyone on the tour,” Dokic said. “When you go through stuff like that, playing a tennis match is a pretty easy thing to do.”Dokic, who is estranged from her father, represented Australia in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She left her adopted country the following year to return to Serbia with Damir.Three years ago she was accepted back in Australia, and in January reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after being granted a wild-card entry.Dokic, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2000, held the world no 4 ranking two years later.She was at no 31 in the most recent rankings.
jelena dokic
jelena dokic
jelena dokic
jelena dokic
jelena dokic
