Alicia Molik in the final of the Mount Gambier Pro Tour event, 2009 - photo by Michael Gorey
Can Alicia Molik recover from the heartbreak of her first-round Australian Open defeat? The former world number eight staged a remarkable comeback from injury in 2009, but folded spectacularly under the unforgiving bright lights of centre court in Melbourne.
Leading 5-2 in the second set against Frenchwoman Julie Coin, after winning the first set 6-3, Molik dropped the next four games, went down in the tiebreak and lost the deciding set 3-6.
The 28-year-old veteran imploded like a 15-year-old rookie.
She celebrates her 29th birthday on Wednesday and must be wondering if she can maintain the effort required to go further in grand slam events.
There was much to admire about Molik’s performances in 2009.
Instead of seeking a wildcard entry to bigger tournaments she played the second-tier Pro Tour, working her way steadily from Darwin to Mount Gambier, Port Pirie, Esperance and Kalgoorlie.
Her only nemesis was rising New Zealand star Sacha Jones, who missed the ASB Classic in Auckland and the Australian Open with a stomach injury.
Molik was a popular personality in regional Australia, acted gracefully and breathed new life into the Pro Tour.
At Mount Gambier she drew a crowd to every match and extra seating had to be provided for the final as 700 people packed the venue.
Molik was the best ambassador tennis could hope for in reviving interest in the sport across Australia.
So what went wrong in Melbourne?
Molik admitted getting ahead of herself and thinking about the after-match formalities.
“My mind slipped away for a couple of minutes and that was enough,” she said.
“I learned a valuable lesson on what not to do. I’m very disappointed. It sucks. It just goes to show you can’t let your guard down.
“I deserved to lose.”
Molik is a lovely person and there is a lot of goodwill towards her. Everyone hopes she will succeed.
She is a smart tennis player, which is arguably her greatest asset on the comeback trail.
Molik uses slice and spin to good effect, has a clever drop shot, plays power tennis when required and adapts her game to exploit an opponent’s weaknesses.
But she’s not as strong as some players and doesn’t cover the court as quickly as many.
A realistic assessment of her comeback so far would say that she’ll struggle to climb higher than about 80 in world rankings (currently 173).
This is really a critical year for her.
Whatever happens, Molik remains one of the leading personalities of women’s tennis in Australia and still has much to contribute to the sport.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Rafael Nadal has hailed the brilliance of Alex de Minaur, calling him "a great player" after the Australian forced the Spanish legend to say…
The clay season promises to be one of high level and tight margins. With the Monte Carlo open just around the corner, it will…
In incredible scenes, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's quarter-final clash with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells was halted abruptly due to a "bee invasion." Less…
Marathon man Jordan Thompson has finally clinched his first ATP Tour title, with the Australian upsetting Norwegian Casper Ruud to lift the trophy in…
Alex de Minaur has earned the perfect 25th birthday present, booking a place in the final of the Rotterdam Open with an emphatic revenge…
While watching the recent Australian Tennis Open I became obsessively fixated on the same thought. Why has no one done a television biopic or…
