Lucic-Baroni gets a bit of divine help
Print Edition
CROATIA’S Mirjana Lucic-Baroni could barely contain her joy after reaching the Australian Open semifinals yesterday, 19 years after her only previous singles match win at Melbourne Park prior to her remarkable run.
The Croat hung a rosary around her neck before serving for the match then crossed herself in the Roman Catholic tradition after sealing victory. “When I took the medical timeout, I wasn’t really sure how I was feeling,” she said. “I felt in that moment only God can help me. It was just something I didn’t think about. It was just something that helped me be strong.”
After a promising start to her career that saw her reach the main draw of the US Open at the age of 15 and the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1999, personal troubles, including alleged abuse from her father, sent her into a tailspin.
“I know this means a lot to every player to reach the semifinals. But to me this is overwhelming, I will never, never forget this day and this last couple of weeks,” she said, fighting back the tears. “This has truly made my life and everything that happened okay.
“The fact I was this strong and could fight this hard is incredible. I kind of want to be known as amazing fighter, a person who persevered against everything, against all odds. And that’s what I take pride in.”
The 34-year-old did indeed show plenty of perseverance as she navigated her way through three sets against fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, looking every bit the battle-hardened warrior with her left leg bandaged in two places.
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