Jelena Dokic’s Australian Open odyssey continued with a sparkling third-round win over Danish dynamo Caroline Wozniacki on Friday night.

Dokic, once again the darling of Australian tennis, lit up Rod Laver Arena with a spirited 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory over the tournament’s 11th seed.

The most improved player on the women’s tour, Wozniacki rose from outside the top 50 to finish the 2008 season as the world No.12.

But the highly-rated teen was unable to match the firepower and sheer will of Dokic, who rebounded from a set down to storm into the last 16 for the first time at Melbourne Park.

It is also the first time Dokic has reached the fourth round of a grand slam since Wimbledon in 2002, the year the former world No.4 also made the French Open quarter-finals.

Australia’s comeback queen next faces Alisa Kleybanova on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals after the unheralded Russian eliminated Serbian fifth seed Ana Ivanovic – last year’s runner-up – 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 in another boilover late on Friday night.

Dokic labelled her victory the “sweetest” of her career.

“It’s a pretty big one,” she said.

“I’m amazed. She’s on the verge of getting into the top 10. We can say she is a top-10 player.

“To be able to play these matches, be here with these girls, and also more amazing for me is physically that I’m able to play third sets day in and day out with these girls.”

As on Wednesday night when she ousted 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze, Dokic displayed nerves of steel despite having played just one grand slam match in the past five years prior to this week.

Wozniacki took the first set with the only service break in the third game after Dokic wasted a total of six break-back chances in the fifth, seventh and ninth games.

Undeterred, Dokic powered through the second set, reeling off winners from both wings to break Wozniacki to love in the fourth game and again two games later before serving it out to put the match back on level terms.

Dokic nabbed another early break in the deciding set, only to drop serve the very next game as the tension rose.

But she again raised her game when it mattered most, staying cool to win the last four games and seal victory on her second match point after one hour and 43 minutes.

Dokic, who infamously walked out on Australia after claiming the 2001 Open draw had been rigged to pit her against then-defending champion Lindsay Davenport, thanked Tennis Australia and tournament director Craig Tiley for having her back.

“Since 2001, things really went downhill and we had a tough couple of years,” the Croatian-born 25-year-old said.

“Sorry for being a pain. I really made things difficult at times and I apologise for that, but Craig has been so great for giving me opportunities and helping me along.

“I’d like to say this win is for me and for my team and it is.

“But I have to thank Craig and Tennis Australia and the whole Australian nation. Really, this is for them.”

© AAP 2012

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