Melbourne, Jan 25 (IANS) American tennis champion Serena Williams is the latest to join the list of comeback girl Jelena Dokic's admirers.
Dokic, who was once ranked no.4 in the world, battled depression and a tyrannical father, to forge one of the most stunning comebacks in sport as she moved into the quarterfinals Sunday.
Serena said she, like the rest of the tennis world, has been touched by the resilient and resurgent Dokic.
'I've just been so happy for her,' Williams said. 'I've been really rooting for her to do so well and her attitude is great and her game is just amazing now.
'Just looks like, you know, the way she looked a while ago when she was able to reach No.4 in the world.
'I know what it's like to be down and to come back. I'm really proud and happy for her.'
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Russian Olympic champion Elena Dementieva has revealed that the absence of her sick mother has motivated her to go for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
While the world No.4 would not give details of her mother Vera's illness, she admitted she had been forced to stay at home in Moscow, leaving her with an emotion-charged fight through the first major tournament of the year.
Dementieva, 27, and her mother, who is also her coach, have been virtually inseparable on the tour for a decade.
'I feel good, the only thing I miss is my mum because she always travels with me,' an emotional Dementieva said.
'She couldn't come this time because of medical reasons, she doesn't feel good and it feels strange without her and even when I come to the locker room, people are asking where's my mum.
'People have been asking why I've been playing so good, I'm just trying to please my mum. I just want her to feel just a little better. She has done such a good job helping me for all these years and she is always with me - she's my mum,' she said.
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Former no.1 player Andy Roddick admitted losing to friend Serena Williams when they were young. Serena has recently said she savours her win over Roddick the most.
'She forgets to mention that it was 1993 … we were 10, and I had to literally run around in the shower to get wet. I was [as skinny as a finger] and she was bench pressing dump trucks already at that time. I told her that yesterday, and she got a good laugh,' he said.
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