MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams' 10th Grand Slam title and the classic Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal final were the last word, but during the Australian Open nobody captivated the crowds like Jelena Dokic, a fallen star that shot back up brilliantly with an unlikely run to the quarterfinals.
For those who have followed Dokic's career, the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for her isn't unheard of - she had done it three times already, once at the French Open and two times at Wimbledon. Reaching the quarterfinals of the 2009 Australian Open for her was, however, a huge surprise.
The first 276 weeks Dokic spent inside the Top 100 came all in a row, beginning after her breakthrough fortnight at Wimbledon in the summer of 1999 - which included her famous win over then-world No.1 Martina Hingis in the first round, as a No.129-ranked qualifier. The Top 100 stint lasted well over five years. In that span she won five Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles and made it to No.4; she even had impressive doubles results, winning four titles and making it to No.10.
The second half of 2004 was troublesome for Dokic, as she missed most of the summer hardcourt season citing fatigue and was sidelined for most of the fall with an elbow injury. In October 2004 she fell out of the Top 100 for the first time since cracking it, and thanks to injury and well-documented off-court struggles, the downward spiral continued - for the better part of the next few years.
"I was trying. I had other issues going on in my life. That was obvious. I battled severe depression for about two years, didn't play for months at a time and was really seriously thinking about not playing. Tennis is not the most important thing in the world, but it's something I love, so I was very disappointed when I couldn't play well. I struggled with everything: my weight, mental state, everything."
Last year, the hard work and determination began showing signs of paying off. Although she began the season unranked and went largely unnoticed at the Tour level, Dokic had some very encouraging results on the ITF Women's Circuit, winning three titles and climbing back to No.178 by year's end. In December she capped it with a win at the Australian Open wildcard play-off tournament.
"I wanted to take small steps. Satellites were the first goal," Dokic commented. "I did well last year; I didn't play a full year, but I did well."
Although she lost first round in her only pre-Australian Open event - to Amélie Mauresmo in Brisbane, in a pair of tie-breaks - Dokic's confidence was getting ready to surge. All she was looking for in Melbourne was to win one round, but what followed was a breakthrough reminiscent of her All-England Club run as a fearless 16-year-old, nearly 10 years earlier.
"I played a good match against Amélie in Brisbane," Dokic said. "In some ways I felt like a rookie again because I hadn't played anyone good in a while. It was a completely different level playing Amélie. If you told me six months before I'd push someone almost ranked in the Top 20 that close, I'd say you were crazy."
Dokic finds vintage form, confidence in Melbourne
Ranked No.187 in the world going into Melbourne, Dokic edged No.80-ranked Tamira Paszek in three sets in the first round to reach her goal of winning one just one round, then it all came out during her post-match press conference.
"It's really a miracle for me. It's really emotional to win today. What I had to go through... It's really great to have this win," she said with tears in her eyes. "I don't think a lot of people know what it means to me. People think, 'Oh, it's just the first round of a Grand Slam.' But for me, it's a lot."
Dokic then blew her own and everyone's expectations right out of the water by upsetting three seeds in a row - No.17 seed Anna Chakvetadze, No.11 seed Caroline Wozniacki and No.29 seed Alisa Kleybanova, and all in three sets, no less - to reach the quarterfinals. She was a few games away from winning that match too, but would bow out to No.3 seed Dinara Safina, 64 46 64.
The run boosted her from No.187 to No.91 on the February 2 rankings - her 277th week in the Top 100, perhaps the start of a second phase of her legacy.
"I went through hell and back, but I really believe it's over now. I've dealt with everything. I'm really just enjoying my tennis and enjoying being here every day. This is hopefully a reward for me for everything I went through. It doesn't have anything to do with rankings or money. I just really love the game."
Safina, Serena on Dokic's Australian Open fortnight
Dinara Safina: "She hits the ball great, she moves well, she serves well, she reads the game well. She's a very solid player. I mean, she beat Wozniacki, who's No.12 in the world. She belongs here. She's a really great player. If she continues working like this, working hard, it's just a matter of time."
Serena Williams: "I've been so happy for her. I've been rooting for her to do well. Her attitude is great and her game is amazing. She's playing the way she played when she was able to reach No.4 in the world. I know what it's like to be down and to come back. I'm proud and happy for her. It's really good to see, that she didn't lose any of her game or fighting spirit. It's awesome."
