Tennis: Jelena Dokic Three-set Win Over Tamira Paszek
January 19th 2009 12:18
Jelena Dokic broke down in tears as she told of the emotional torment she has undergone in the decade since last winning a match at the Australian Open.
Dokic was thrilled to down Tamira Paszek 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, but when she says there are more important things in life than winning a tennis match, Australia's former world No.4 is talking straight from the heart.
Everything that has happened in the intervening decade has given the Belgrade-born baseliner the type of perspective often notably lacking among top-level sportspeople.
Now totally estranged from her father and former coach Damir, Dokic has overcome two years of severe depression with the help of her long-term boyfriend Tin Bikic.
The nadir came in 2007 when she went seven months without picking up a racquet, before deciding to have one more crack at resurrecting a career once took her to the Wimbledon semi-finals and an Olympic medal play-off.
添ou know tennis is not the most important thing in the world, but it's something that I love,'' an emotional Dokic said during her post-match media conference.
的 was very disappointed when I couldn't play well - it was a tough time in my life.
的 had a lot to go through, a lot of family issues.
的t's really a miracle for me and it's really emotional to win today.''
Dokic is currently in the process of mending the relationships with her mother, Liliana, and little brother, Savo.
But the split with father Damir - whose off-court antics took such a toll on her - seems permanent.
典he biggest thing I regret is my brother, who is eight years younger than me,'' the 25-year-old said.
的 didn't have contact with him for years until the last 12 months.
典hat was the hardest thing to deal with, but I still feel like I've lost them.''
Damir Dokic's most notable outbursts included claiming the organisers had rigged the draw against his daughter when she was pitted against then-defending champion Lindsay Davenport at the 2001 Australian Open.
He was also thrown out of Wimbledon and the US Open after ranting about the price of the salmon at Flushing Meadows.
的 had so much to go through while my dad was on the tour,'' said Dokic.
的 was just so young and just had no real idea what was going on.
釘ut it was really difficult to take all that, what was going on off the court, all the outbursts.
的t was not easy to play with that.
的 played with a huge pressure on my shoulders.
的 kind of just cracked by the time I was 19.''
Dokic made a tentative return to the tour late in 2007, only to again draw the ire of Australian officials after crying foul when she was overlooked for a wildcard into last year's Open.
She did it the hard way this time, winning the wild card play-off in December.
的'm trying to get a hold of it now and trying not to go back again, trying not to get in that stage of my life,'' Dokic said.
釘ut I think it's over, I think I dealt with everything.
的'm really enjoying my tennis and it doesn't really have anything to do with ranking, money or anything.
的 just really love the game.''
AAP
Dokic was thrilled to down Tamira Paszek 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, but when she says there are more important things in life than winning a tennis match, Australia's former world No.4 is talking straight from the heart.
Everything that has happened in the intervening decade has given the Belgrade-born baseliner the type of perspective often notably lacking among top-level sportspeople.
Now totally estranged from her father and former coach Damir, Dokic has overcome two years of severe depression with the help of her long-term boyfriend Tin Bikic.
The nadir came in 2007 when she went seven months without picking up a racquet, before deciding to have one more crack at resurrecting a career once took her to the Wimbledon semi-finals and an Olympic medal play-off.
添ou know tennis is not the most important thing in the world, but it's something that I love,'' an emotional Dokic said during her post-match media conference.
的 was very disappointed when I couldn't play well - it was a tough time in my life.
的 had a lot to go through, a lot of family issues.
的t's really a miracle for me and it's really emotional to win today.''
Dokic is currently in the process of mending the relationships with her mother, Liliana, and little brother, Savo.
But the split with father Damir - whose off-court antics took such a toll on her - seems permanent.
典he biggest thing I regret is my brother, who is eight years younger than me,'' the 25-year-old said.
的 didn't have contact with him for years until the last 12 months.
典hat was the hardest thing to deal with, but I still feel like I've lost them.''
Damir Dokic's most notable outbursts included claiming the organisers had rigged the draw against his daughter when she was pitted against then-defending champion Lindsay Davenport at the 2001 Australian Open.
He was also thrown out of Wimbledon and the US Open after ranting about the price of the salmon at Flushing Meadows.
的 had so much to go through while my dad was on the tour,'' said Dokic.
的 was just so young and just had no real idea what was going on.
釘ut it was really difficult to take all that, what was going on off the court, all the outbursts.
的t was not easy to play with that.
的 played with a huge pressure on my shoulders.
的 kind of just cracked by the time I was 19.''
Dokic made a tentative return to the tour late in 2007, only to again draw the ire of Australian officials after crying foul when she was overlooked for a wildcard into last year's Open.
She did it the hard way this time, winning the wild card play-off in December.
的'm trying to get a hold of it now and trying not to go back again, trying not to get in that stage of my life,'' Dokic said.
釘ut I think it's over, I think I dealt with everything.
的'm really enjoying my tennis and it doesn't really have anything to do with ranking, money or anything.
的 just really love the game.''
AAP
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