Jelena Dokic kept her remarkable story going when she upset Alisa Kleybanova to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Australian wildcard claims third scalp on the trot
Australian wildcard Jelena Dokic kept her remarkable story going down under when she upset Russia's Alisa Kleybanova 7-5 5-7 8-6 to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.
Dokic will now play third seed Dinara Safina for a place in the last four after defeating her third seeded player in as many rounds.
First 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze fell by the wayside in the second round to the Australian wildcard, then 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki was dispatched in round three and Dokic completed the triple scalp with victory over the No. 29 seed.
It was by no means plain sailing in the fourth round for Dokic who had a big fright on the way when she twisted her ankle returning a serve while leading 6-5 in the third set.
She got up and brushed aside the trainer's offer to strap her ankle at the next change of ends, came back on and held serve then broke Kleybanova to seal victory in three hours.
"My foot really got stuck," Dokic said of the injury.
Distraction
"But I kind of just think I lost one point after that, so maybe it was a little bit distracting to her as well.
"It was a little bit painful, but I looked at it and it wasn't swollen - sometimes when it's a really bad strain it gets swollen straightaway.
"I thought I would try to play a point or two, and if it's not great I'll call a trainer straightaway."
Dokic said the strain of playing so many long matches was catching up with her.
"I was really physically exhausted tonight but I kept on fighting and the crowd got right behind me in the third set," she said.
"Every single match I've played has been three sets. I really had to come through in all of them."
Breaks aplenty
Kleybanova, playing her first match on a major centre court, could have been forgiven for being slightly overawed by the occasion, but she was the steadier of the two players in the beginning.
Both players looked nervous throughout and holding serve was a continuous battle.
There were five breaks of serve in each of the first two sets, although both players steadied in the third, which then developed into a battle of nerves.
Kleybanova broke early in the third but Dokic struck back to level at 3-3, then games went with serve until Dokic made the vital breakthrough.
"It was hard to stay positive when I lost the second set and went down a break in the third, but I just kept on fighting and it paid off," she said.
