Luk runs out at last but Thai No 1 is full of hope

The Thai No 1 was narrowly beaten by Petra Martic of Croatia 3-6 6-3 5-7, two days after knocking out former top 10 player Belinda Bencic of Switzerland to make the third round of a major for the first time.
However, the good news is that Luksika will rise to the verge of the top 100 when the new rankings are updated at the end of January and closing in on her career-best 85 that she reached in October 2014.
“My results were not so bad this week,” she reflected. “At least I reached the third round for the first time in a Slam. It gives me a lot of confidence.”
Luksika’s coach, Subin Sricha-aen, echoed his protégé’s optimism, said 2017 had been a breakthrough year for her and she could do even better this year.
“Four years that we have worked together, this is the year that she’s shown huge improvement,” he said. “Although there have been some techniques she needs to fix, I believe she can go even further in her career.”
 Luksika arrives home in Bangkok this morning to prepare for the Fed Cup Zone Asia/Oceania Qualifying Group II tie in India in the second week of February.
Yesterday’s result ended Thai hopes that Luksika, currently world-ranked 124 could cause another upset and match the fourth-round effort of her Thai No1 predecessor, Tamarine Tanasugarn, at Melbourne Park in 1998.
The 24-year-old Luksika was just two points from victory at 5-4 and 30-all in a third set full of nail-biting baseline rallies but the 81st-ranked Martic was cooler and calmer in the blistering heat, called on her powerful serve when she needed it most and levlled it up.
Then, even more crucially, Luksika dumped an easy forehand into the net to miss a chance to hold for 6-5. That miss affected her mentally as she lost two easy points to drop that service game and never seemed in momentum again.
The Thai netted two straight shots to end a dramatic encounter which last two hours and 10 minutes in the sweltering 40-degree furnace.
“I felt really tired after 5-4 in the third set,” said Luksika, whose previous best attempt was a second-round berth in 2013 and 2014.
“Conditions were tough out there and she kept hitting everything back. She really did a good homework and deserved to win.” 

Petra Martic

For Martic, the win was a perfect 26th birthday present and handed her a first fourth-round appearance in a Major.
“Condition were really tough,” she agreed. “But I was mentally prepared for them.
“In the second set she raised her game. She played much better when you gave her the pace because she hit winners all over the place.”
The win also gave the Croatian some revenge for a three-set defeat she suffered at Luksika’s hands in Taiwan five years ago. She will next play Elise Merterns of Belgium.