In honor of the new thread, I will re-post here what I wrote in the old thread
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Hope Mirjana is home relaxing, resting and healing her body, counting the coins she earned in Australia, and planning her next move(s).
All I wanted from Mirjana before she retires was a strong GS performance and a new career-high ranking, so that *I* could exorcise within me the demons from her past. She did both last month, so I am now at peace with her career.
It would be great, of course, if she could win another title or reach another CHR (top 25?) but if she doesn't, it simply won't matter. From here on, it's all gravy, at least for this fan.
It really has been a fairytale story/conclusion for her ... and it is so rare that we see this in sport or life at all. So rare.
She could have quit the game so many times over the last 9 years --maybe bagged it like Vaidosova, who basically said "This isn't happening. Time to move on."
But MLB did have good reasons to keep believing in each of the years of her comeback, beginning in 2007, with a completely "out of nowhere" main draw win at Indian Wells.
Each year, some result or flicker of hope has occurred to keep her reasonably believing, even if the seasons themselves were perhaps disappointing in various ways.
And the last 3 years have been more than anyone could have expected from her.
This Oz result is HUGE. So huge.
She should be able to move that ranking even higher, especially at IW and Miami. Huge points to grab there, and she is flying high in her head and soul.
But she and her team absolutely MUST be targeting a Grand Slam title, now.
She has earned the right to target one, realistically.
Wimbledon will be the spot, in my opinion.
She absolutely MUST impose her big game on everyone and go for it.
I'm not certain she would physically be able to win the gruelling French or US.
But Wimby? I can absolutely see her winning it.
Even so, she never needs to take the court again, ever.
FYI, after the AO Mirjana moved up to #29.
This week she dropped to #30 (overtaken by Putina).
Next week she'll move back up to #29 (overtaking Kasatkina, who's not able to defend big points from St Petersburg, because it happened a week earlier this year).
I want her to be seeded for IW and Miami. At 29, she would be at least the 27th seed with Petra and Vika not in. Hopefully she doesn't drop 6 spots before then. She might need to do well in Acapulco to remain seeded for IW and Miami, though. It's still weird to be associating her name with seedings in mandatories and GS events.
This is as good a place as any to re-post Mirjana's remarkable ranking progress since the first full year (2008) of her comeback:
March 2008: In the 700's
April 2008: 600's
May 2008: 500's
July 2008: 400's
April 2009: 300's
November 2009: 260's
January 2010: 250's
February 2010: 240's
May 2010: 200's
June 2010: 160's
July 2010: 150's
September 2010: 100's
October 2010: 90's
July 2011: 80's
September 2014: 70's, 60's and 50's
July 2015: 40's
January 2017: 29
This is as good a place as any to re-post Mirjana's remarkable ranking progress since the first full year (2008) of her comeback:
March 2008: In the 700's
April 2008: 600's
May 2008: 500's
July 2008: 400's
April 2009: 300's
November 2009: 260's January 2010: 250's
February 2010: 240's
May 2010: 200's
June 2010: 160's
July 2010: 150's
September 2010: 100's
October 2010: 90's
July 2011: 80's
September 2014: 70's, 60's and 50's
July 2015: 40's
January 2017: 20's
I remember following her results in '08 and '09 and thinking the comeback wasn't going to result in a return to the top 100. She didn't appear to be making much progress. Then at the very end of '09 she had a couple of good results at ITF level. Then, she started '10 where she left off at the end of '09. It was then, that I thought it might happen. Then I joined TF because of her progress. I think the very first thread I ever posted in on here was the Mirjana Lucic Sub-forum.
Still, I never thought she'd get this far - Grand Slam SF and World #29. And do it a full 6 yrs after I joined the forum is remarkable. Glad I stuck in out with you guys. I think if she had dropped really low I may have bailed, but she was consistently near or in the top 100 at all times since late '10. And, kudos to those of you (croat123, ballbasher and ajmo) who have been on here since the beginning of her comeback in '07. And thanks to welcoming those of us who joined later.
I found my first post on here, from May 2010, right after she lost to Yakimova at an ITF in Florida:
"I see alot of similarities to the Jelena Dokic comeback. Both had overbearing eastern european (croation?) fathers. Both fell off the tennis map after doing well at Wimbledon very early in their careers. Dokic made a big run at the Australian open last year and briefly made it back to the top 50. Can Lucic do the same? Can't wait to find out."
Well, she did it!!!!
And it's not the end.
If she stays motivated and focused, she can do more. And if she can stay fresh, but still sharp for the Grand Slams, watch out. She could go deep again!
She said in press that she said to coach few years ago(probably after losing to Muhhamad at that 50k) that she's never again playing an ITF.
When they asked her about NCH she said with relief: ''No more qualies''.
Surely she meant her ranking is good enough for MD of any tournament now, but also it seems she doesn't plan to play qualies if she doesnt get WC at any tournament before Indian Wells.
And TBH, I think it's good decision.
Hope somebody gives her WC, her IW record is really poor in recent years (2014 loss to Majeric, 2015- 5 games to Riske, 2016- 3 games to Puig). Miami record is not much better.
Courts are very slow, they are really good for spin players. Hope they change something, because I'm not watching another Murray-Djokovic final again. Never.
She's not listed for Acapulco, so either their plans have changed or they're trying to arrange a WC + some appearance fee.
She's entitled to do that now of course, she can set her own terms with this ranking, and after that wonderful run in Melbourne, many events will want to see her show up at their courts.
I'd tend to agree. She should make heaps of money this year, and hopefully a book deal is even now being negotiated, among other tour-related perks.
Acting to secure such matters now is wise, given that society in general has the attention-span of a tse-tse fly.
Hopefully we'll see her back on the courts at least once before Indian Wells. If not, I'm sure she will appear fresh and more prepared (and confident) than ever. A seeding would be nice for the big SoCal and SoFlo events, though.
For lots of reasons, though, her team (and Miki) *might* next want to roll her out at another high-profile event like IW, instead of the little Mexico event. Even without a seeding, NOBODY is going to want to see her name next to theirs in the draw down there in the desert.
Seems like Dubai was saving WCs for big names. That didnt do a lot of good because many top players are not there after all. Actually, if Mirjana is on alt list, she might make it to MD with her old ranking.
Rumour is Peng and Barthel will get WC's.
This is one of the biggest tournaments so there are big points on offer. 3/4 Australian Open semifinalist will not be in the draw, also Halep and Kuznetsova missing.
Top 8 seeds (Kerber, Pliskova, Radwanska, Cibulkova, Muguruza, Konta, Svitolina, Bacsinzsky) do not seem that unbeatable. Hoping for a miracle, to see her name in the draw, but well aware it probably will not happen.
Maybe Mehico Open. Where ever it is, I hope she steps on a court in a clothing of one manufacturer. I know companies probably thought of her age before but now they should realize how much good she could bring to them. She is great charachter, has an interesting and emotional story. Not to say she is, without a doubt, such a good speaker. There is the problem of the fact that she is Croatian but lives in the USA. That makes it hard for a sponsor to aim for particular audience. But once you make it to SF of Australian Open the whole world has eyes on you. Hope somebody in this big companies who are constantly looking for inspirational stories to sell their products has finally opened their eyes to the most inspirational one out there. By a mile.
And I almost forgot. She entered Charleston and Stuttgart so that is a good news for some posters here.
Just took a look at Dubai Q-draw. No player in was ranked higher than Miki on the week when MD list was made. If Mirjana did not pull out from MD alts list she will be in MD. My guess is she did, but you never know.
Yes, but all top 10 players comitted so we will see if she gets in.
She is not in Dubai draw. I have never seen such weak Premier 5 tournamwment with players outside top 70 in main draw directly. Wild cards given to Barthel, Peng and Buyukakcay.
Given her situation as recently as early last month, it's remarkable to think that had she played, Mirjana would have been out of a seeding at Dubai (Premier! and Mandatory?) by only two spots
In a way, I'm kind of glad she's taking time to (presumably) make sure her body is 100% before appearing at another event.
The layoff following last September's Quebec event did not seem to leave her rusty for the Down Under swing, as in previous years. She came out ready to play. (I'm thinking that initial win over Barthel was a bigger sign of things to come than we guessed, at the time.)
Perhaps the new training regimen with this coach, which she mentioned in Oz, has proved a key difference in her preparation, i.e. they aren't spending time on endless drills and repetitive forehands and backhands, but rather upon point simulation. Recreating match scenarios in practice.
Maybe this is what Mirjana has needed all along, for her game and her mentality.
It obviously worked.
Still amazing to think that she is now even BIGGER and more popular and well-known and successful than she was in her "first career."
What an accomplishment. ?
Now for a big title, of any kind. Even another Grand Slam title in doubles.
Here's hoping her body cooperates, and she has more fun than ever before out there, for however long she stays around.
(At this rate, we'll see her for at least the next two years, for sure.)
Her seeding position for IW is in danger . It seems her Acapulco QF points are coming off next week and she's already 31st in live rankings.
Also, players just behind her are still in Dubai and have good chances of making some good results considering some top players are not there(even Konta pulled out so 10 of top 20 players are not there).
A lot of points will be given in Dubai: QF 190, SF 350 etc.
Very much so. She is at #31 and can slip to no lower than #34 this week.
There are still 11 players this week who can overtake Mirjana in the rankings. Three of them will do so if they win their next match: Sevastova (against Peng), Makarova (Davis) and Konjuh (Vesnina).
It would be such a shame to get so close to being seeded at such a big event this late in her career only to miss by a spot or two :crying2:
Not surprising. The marginal benefit of not being seeded is that she could get an easier first round opponent and get some of her match toughness back. Idk, would be really nice to see her with a number next to her name
Down to #33, she has to be #34 to be certain of seeding in IW.
Davis has to win another match to get ahead, others would have to win Dubai(Wang, Bondarenko, Bellis) or final in Budapest(Babos).
Hope she plays Acapulco and Hele is not basing this on only the fact Errani is out so Mirjana is 2nd alt if she entered MDO.
WTA is so useless. They should have assured her a WC for Dubai, and it is even more crazy if she can not get WC in Acapulco where she would be one of two top seeds. WTA is based in Florida and yet they didn't sent some of their annoying reporters to interview Mirjana after such a run.
Would not be surprised if she did not get a clothing deal, either. Tour really sucks.
IMG still wields a lot of influence across the entire landscape of the tour. I don't know it as a fact, but I have long had a hunch that they have perhaps clouded matters for MLB during her second phase.
They certainly haven't greased any wheels for her.
I'm surprised she has waited this long to appear again, unless she and her team have planned deliberately to reappear at Indian Wells and Miami, fresh and ready ... just like she was for Oz this year.
If they are targeting a Grand Slam title for real, now, she will have to pace herself for the sake of her body this year. The ranking may not be their biggest priority, now that she's achieved a personal best level (even though the ranking IS rather important when it comes to being seeded for any of the upcoming events.)
Wouldn't it be a pip if, after all this, she suddenly announced she decided to retire on a high note!?
It would be smart to play Acapulco for a number of reasons, esp. since she is going to be heading West, anyway, for the BNP Paribas Open in SoCal.
But I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't play Mexico. She's getting "old" --birthday coming-up soon!
She had to take some time off after the AO. Sure, she lost a few spots in the rankings to players that are playing more often, but if she keeps her form she can move up again. Per usual she has few points to defend at IW and Miami. Then she has some points to defend before Strasbourg, but not many. The key will to be add a significant number of points before Strasbourg's fall off.