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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
WIMBLEDON, JUNE 29: Jelena Dokic is living a dream. Till the other day, she was just an unknown 16-year-old trying to break into the big world of women's tennis. The Serb-turned Australian went through qualifying like a breeze and she began the tournament proper with a bang. From then on, it has been bang, bang, bang.
She moved into the quarterfinals and can go further, if she manages to beat either Alexandra Stevenson or Lisa Raymond in the quarterfinals. Dokic has been getting tips from the seven-time champion Steffi Graf with whom she has been practising the last couple of days. ``We have been hitting and helping each other warm up. I haven't known her before, but I really admire her. She gave some tips during practice on what I should work on and things to do and really I have to say she is one of the best players I have spoken to and met,'' she said.
She blunted the big serve of Pierce by taking pace off it and was quickly into position to dominate the points. She moved Pierce from one corner to theother without allowing her rhythm.
``Yes, it is a bit hard to believe,'' Dokic said. ``If you would have told me two weeks ago, I wouldn't have believed it. I'm glad to get through this match today. I'm going to take it one match at a time and see what happens. The better the opponent the better you play. I needed to play really well to beat Mary because she has a big serve and big returns.''
She felt there was a bit more pressure on her to win a few more rounds after she beat Hingis in the first round but refused to get into a debate on whether she could take the title. ``I think anybody has a chance after the fourth round."
Already a role model?
SYDNEY: Prime Minister John Howard, still savouring Australia's World Cup cricket success, today joined the growing chorus of praise for teenager Jelena Dokic's remarkable run at Wimbledon.
``She proved the first round win was no flash in the pan,'' he told a Canberra radio station.
Dokic's successful run has created a stir in Australia,particularly in Fairfield, the unfashionable suburb in Sydney where she has lived since she and her family emigrated from Yugoslavia in 1994.
Australia's National women's development coach John Trickey said Dokic's success would inspire a new generation of women players in much the same way Pat Rafter and Mark Philippoussis had inspired Australia's male players.
``We haven't had a women's role model like her since Evonne Goolagong,'' he said.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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