The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Melbourne

It's been a tumultuous five years since Daniela Hantuchova last reached a Grand Slam quarterfinals. She rallied to beat Russian No. 27 Maria Kirilenko 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday, answering lingering doubts about her capacity to return to the second week of a Grand Slam.

"I always believed I could do it. I thought it was just a matter of time, probably getting a little bit more mature and understanding myself better," she said. "There was never a time that I thought I was not being able to do it again."

After finishing the 2002 season ranked No. 8 following quarterfinals appearances at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, she reached a career-high No. 5 shortly after making the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Then she faced a series of personal trials, including constant speculation about her weight, and her ranking plummeted to No. 31 ranking at the end of 2004. The 24-year-old Slovakian player, seeded No. 9 in Melbourne, says the maturity she's gained in the ensuing years is now showing on the tennis court.

"I think I realized that it's OK to make mistakes sometimes and it's OK not to be perfect all the time," she said. "And I think that made me much, much calmer and more relaxed on the court and off the court."

Hantuchova next faces Polish teenager Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Nadia Petrova to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinals. "She's a very tough player, very talented," a relaxed Hantuchova said. "I think we've both got a great opportunity to get to the semis, so it's going to be a very good match. I'm really looking forward to it."