Mirjana’s fairytale continues Croatian puts troubles behind her to end 18-year wait for Slam semi

Courageous Mirjana LucicBaroni wept tears of joy on Wednesday as she described making her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 1999 Wimbledon as “pure ecstasy”.

The Croat, a former teenage prodigy whose career was derailed by personal trauma, swept into the Australian Open last four by upsetting fifth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in an epic match at Rod Laver Arena.

The emotional win kept her tournament alive, and the 34-year-old is struggling to take it all in.

“I can’t believe this ... it’s crazy. The only thing I can say is God is good. That’s all I can say. I can’t believe it. I feel a little bit in shock.

“To me, this is overwhelming. I will never forget this day and the last couple of weeks. This has truly made my life, and everything bad that happened, (it) has made it OK.”

Between sobs, Lucic-Baroni said that winning was “pure ecstasy” after fearing she might not be able to continue after receiving treatment on a heavily strapped leg.

“I started hurting pretty bad mid-match, especially toward the end.

“The fact that I was able to do it and so well at the end, I was really grateful,” she said.

Next up is Serena Williams, who with sister Venus was among the crop of teen talents emerging at the same time as the Lucic-Baroni in the 1990s, along with Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova.

They haven’t played each other since the 1998 Wimbledon, and Serena said it was inspiring to see her old sparring partner turn it around.

“I’m really happy for Mirjana; I was there when she first started,” said Williams.

“To see her be able to never give up actually is super inspiring to me. It’s a wonderful story.

“At the end of the day, it really helps me to realize that you have to always go for your dreams. It’s just great.”

Lucic-Baroni’s comeback has been the feel-good story of the tournament, having droppedoutoftop-leveltennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive father and enduring financial and injury problems.

Long journey

Touted as the next big thing after making the last four at Wimbledon in 1999 as a 17-year-old, she has waited almost two decades for another crack at a Slam semi.

Lucic-Baroni’s run in Melbourne is also the furthest a Croatian woman has gone at a major since her breakthrough at the All England club 18 years ago.

“This is what I’ve been dreaming about, this is what I’ve been training for,” she said.

“At 34 years old, like I said before, I have a wonderful home. I’m happily married. I would be perfectly OK being at home, just enjoying my family.

“But I really knew deep down in my soul that I have these results in me. To now be here and actually live these moments is incredible. I can’t believe it.”

Lucic-Baroni has spoken briefly in the past about the hardships she faced — a demanding father who dished out regular beatings, fleeing with her mother and siblings to the United States, and money and injury issues.

She has been reluctant to elaborate on her troubles in Melbourne, but admitted she was “broken for a few years” and suggested she might write a book about her experiences.

“I kind of want to be known as an amazing fighter, a person who persevered against everything, against all odds,” she said.

“And that’s what I take pride in, so I don’t know. Who knows? We will see.”