Making the best of her luck
January 19 2003 вy Nabila Ahmed  (www.theage.com.au)

Before she fell in love with tennis, she idolised Princess Diana. Before she began a tennis career in which she has jumped more than 60 places in the world rankings since January, 2001, she wanted to become a doctor.

Before she stumbled upon the sport, she would play basketball and soccer with her family at the sports centre near her house.

Meet Eleni Daniilidou, Greece's first world-class tennis player since Niki Kalogeropoulos in the 1960s.

The 20-year-old, who overcame 16th-seeded Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy 6-4, 6-4 to equal her best grand slam performance in advancing to the fourth round yesterday, makes it clear that tennis did not really come naturally to a youngster growing up in Thessaloniki, Greece.

"It's a lucky story, actually," she explained yesterday. "I had a house next to the sports centre. I was more or less every day with my family and friends there but nothing about tennis, just played other sports, basketball and football.

"Then the tennis coach came and asked me if I wanted to try . . . I have no idea with tennis and he said, 'Yeah, I like your style, just come to see me . . .' I tried the first time and said, 'Can I come tomorrow?' I went there and after one week, I bought a racquet."

Almost five years later, she opened her account by reaching the final of her first professional tournament, an International Tennis Federation satellite event in Thessaloniki, as a 14-year-old.

Since then, Daniilidou has been through injuries that could easily have broken a weaker resolve. In 2000, only four tournaments into her comeback from an appendix operation that sidelined her for three months, Daniilidou's career received another setback when she tore ligaments in her knee during a match in England.

The weeks that followed were so difficult that she nearly gave it all away. "For sure, it (retirement) was always bouncing around my mind," she said. "But I was really strong with myself because after two weeks, I really missed playing. I missed to move and did all the physio really good, eight hours a day. It was quite a tough time, but I'm so happy I went through (with it).

"First, I started to walk as much as I could because I couldn't even walk in the beginning. Slowly, I did that and then two times a day, physio. Then I started with bicycle slowly, and swimming slowly and then run slowly."

She also sought help from psychologist Giannis Theodorakis because she "just needed someone really next to me to talk to".

When she returned to tennis six months later, none of the doubts that can plague players coming back from injury seemed to be evident. "When I went to play a tournament, I was really so happy and so confident to be in the court. That's why I played better tennis because I was really happy to be on court," she said.

Within two years, she had reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the Australian Open, where she took a set off eventual champion Jennifer Capriati. She also claimed the scalps of Monica Seles, Amelie Mauresmo, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Daniela Hantuchova, Patty Schnyder and Elena Dementieva to finish just outside the top 20 at the end of 2002.

Tomorrow, she comes up against world No. 1 Serena Williams. Does she think she can stop the American completing a "Serena Slam"?

"She's unbelievable, she's a good player and for myself, I have nothing to lose. I will go for it and I'm trying to win," she said. "It's going to be, for sure, a tough match but I think I'm ready to give 100 per cent."

Certainly, she will have the crowd behind her, with many of Melbourne's Greek community at the ready with the flags that had hitherto been used to cheer on Pete Sampras and Mark Philippoussis.

"From the first round, they are next to me," she said. "They are really crazy and I love playing with a crowd."