MELBOURNE: For a
tennis
player in the last-eight of a Grand Slam,
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
is a curious sight. Ignore the `battle scars', the heavily strapped thigh and calf. The soon-to-be 35-year-old paired a fuchsiapink, racer-back Adidas tee with a black Nike skirt and mismatched shoes en route to the last eight of the
Australian Open
. “I wear whatever, a little bit of everything,“ the bespectacled pro said.
The bits and pieces of her gear tell the story of her second life in tennis. No clothing contract, no guarantees. Just hard-fought and painstakingly put together.
After knocking out American qualifier Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-2 in 70 minutes to make only her second Grand Slam quarterfinal, 18 years after she made the Wimbledon semifinals, LucicBaroni celebrated with the carefree delight of a teenager.
“I'm a tough little cookie,“ the 5 ft 11 pro with sledgehammer strokes said. “I'm really, really stubborn. I did whatever it took to be here, so for anybody out there who is struggling, f#** whoever tells you that you can't... Do it with your heart.“ The Dortmund-born, freshfaced, long-haired teenager won the first WTA tournament she played in as a 15-year-old, she defended that title the following year, won the Australian Open doubles title with Martina Hingis in 1998 and in 1999 made the Wimbledon semifinal. She battled an abusive father, survived financial ruin, sought asylum in the United States and had little or nothing to show for tournaments in the noughties.
Lucic-Baroni, who married restaurateur Daniele in 2011, will play fifth-seeded Czech
Karolina Pliskova
in the last eight on Wednesday . For anyone who is wondering, she's simply playing out the story of her life.“People think they know a lot about my history but they have no idea,“ Lucic-Baroni, who now lives in Sarasota, Florida, said without blinking.
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