Third seed Radwanska beaten at Aust Open

Twenty years after winning the Australian Open junior title, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni is making a surprise charge for the women’s crown, upsetting No.3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round.

The 34-year-old attacked Radwanska’s serve on Thursday from the outset, breaking her three times in the first set before going on to claim a 6-3 6-2 win on Margaret Court Arena.

A third-round berth is an impressive return for the Croatian, whose career had never reached the heights her early results suggested.

She achieved a career-best grand slam result in 1999 when she reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where she lost to Steffi Graf in three sets.

The former teen prodigy won the Australian Open women’s doubles in 1998 at the age of 15, partnering Martina Hingis, and beat local Rennae Stubbs in the main draw to advance to the second round.

But she lost to Iva Majoli and didn’t progress past the first round in seven subsequent visits to Melbourne Park.

Beset by family and financial problems, she didn’t contest a grand slam for nearly eight years after she lost in the first round of the 2002 US Open.

“I missed quite a few years on tour, I missed a lot, and I feel like this time around, I don’t have anything to prove to anybody,” she said.

“I’m just enjoying playing for myself – it’s almost like (a second life) because I spent so long not playing.

“Feelings like on court tonight … you can’t replicate that anywhere else in life.

“It’s just really fun. I don’t take it for granted. I enjoy the moments and I work really hard … I’m trying to go as far as I can.”

Radwanska appeared stunned at times in the face of Lucic-Baroni’s high-powered game. She broke her more-fancied opponent six times and hit 33 winners.

“I know I have some good tennis in me still … it’s the reason I’m still out here at 34,” she said.

“I’m not a spring chicken, for sure, but I’m playing because I’m enjoying it and I know that I can still get some really big wins.”

Lucic-Baroni will play 94th-ranked Greek Maria Sakkari in the third round. Sakkari upset No.28 seed Alize Cornet.

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