Lucic, who lit up the tour as a teen in the late 1990s until she was overwhelmed by family and financial problems, beat Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the third round.

Things are looking up for Lucic, who reached her first quarterfinals since 1999 last month in Strasbourg.

How likely the US-based Croatian returns not merely to the mainstream but into the limelight may be hinted by her next match, against Ana Ivanovic, the former world No. 1 and title favorite.

For now, Lucic was enjoying a slow emergence from infamy thanks to immense tenacity and desire.

At 15, Lucic became the first player to win her first WTA singles event (1997) then the youngest Australian Open champion by winning the women's doubles with Martina Hingis (1998). At 17, she was a Wimbledon semifinalist. Her success helped convince the WTA to loosen the age eligibility rules to allow young women to play more events.

But her life unraveled when she and her family sought sanctuary in the US to escape her abusive father/coach, and financial trouble snowballed as she played less. By 2002 she was an also-ran on tour, and didn't begin a serious comeback until last year. At 94th, she's at her highest ranking since July 2000.

She revealed her maturity on Thursday during an uncertain phase at 6-5 down when a loudspeaker announcement called for ground staff to attend the courts, suggesting another of many showers was about to fall just as she was about to serve to save the set.

“I freaked out, oh my god, oh my god,” Lucic admitted.

“Luckily I was able to slow down. I told myself if I rushed I would lose the point and I was able to make myself stay in the moment.” Ivanovic, the 19-year-old who knows a little about slumping after success at a young age, advanced to her first quarters on grass since she made the Wimbledon semifinals four years ago. She beat Rebecca Marino of Canada 6-3, 6-2 without facing a break point.

The same half of the draw will see Daniela Hantuchova, the former world No. 5 from Slovakia, play Alison Riske, the American whose career climbed a notch with a great run here last year, and who upset the seedings again.

Last year, Yanina Wickmayer, the top 20 Belgian, was one of Riske's six wins. On Thursday, Riske won 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-2 against Aravane Rezai, the eighth-seeded French player, despite missing a second-set match point in a two-and-a-half-hour tussle.

The biggest threat in the other half may come from third-seeded Peng Shuai of China, who was in the top 20 for the first time.

She beat Heather Watson of Britain 7-6 (1), 6-1 to line up a match with Marina Erakovic, a New Zealander outside the top 100, and could go on to a semifinal with Magdalena Rybarikova, the Slovakian who won the title here two years ago.