Lucic Calls Leaving Her Father the Right Move

By LISA DILLMAN

Sept. 1, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

NEW YORK —

For Mirjana Lucic, tennis has become a fun, liberating experience for the first time in her life.

The 16-year-old recently said she suffered beatings from her father and coach Marinko. After Wimbledon, she and her mother and siblings left Marinko Lucic in Croatia, fleeing to Florida. He has denied his daughter’s allegations.

On Monday, Lucic was happy and smiling after defeating Kristie Boogert of the Netherlands, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round at the U.S. Open. “It is the first time in my life I really enjoy tennis,” she said. “Everything kind of happened in Wimbledon. There was a time when I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Lucic suggested that her case was not an isolated one on the tour but offered no specifics.

“I know it is going on, a lot happens to a lot of players and I saw that,” she said. “It is just not right. I was telling [people] before that I enjoy myself, that I am feeling great. Obviously it wasn’t like that.”

Martina Hingis is a close friend of Lucic’s and they have played doubles together. “They [the family] made a very good move,” Hingis said. “Because under that pressure nobody really can understand what she said happened there.”

Two youngsters from Southern California made their U.S. Open debut in the singles main draw. Seventeen-year-old Taylor Dent of Newport Beach defeated qualifier Alex Radulescu of Germany, 4-6, 7-5, 2-1 (retired). Radulsecu got sick during the match.

Dent, a wild-card entry and the youngest player in the men’s draw, turned professional before the Open. He is the son of Phil Dent, who reached the 1974 Australian Open final, and Betty Ann Stuart, once a Wimbledon quarterfinalist.

“That’s my ace in the hole, having dad right there,” Taylor Dent said. “He’s been there. He’s done that. He’s like, ‘You haven’t felt anything. Wait ‘til you do this.’ That’s what it’s all about, performing under pressure.”

Twenty-year-old Bob Bryan of Camarillo, a wild-card entry, survived his pressure-filled situation, playing five sets for the first time as he defeated Marcos Ondruska of South Africa, 3-6, 6-7 [5-7], 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. “The guys told me just stay with the guy, sometimes he can go up and down,” said Bryan. “I think I was out there for four hours. I ate at 7:30 in the morning, so I didn’t have anything in my stomach. I was starting to get a little of the shivers at the end, and I was actually going numb.”

Another American was not as lucky. Justin Gimelstob, who played his collegiate tennis at UCLA, retired because of cramps in the third set against Wayne Black of Zimbabwe.

Serena Williams, 16, was nearly knocked out by an injury in her Open debut. She suffered a strained right hamstring in practice and needed medical attention but defeated Australian Nicole Pratt, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

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