Mirjana Lucic has recorded her first consecutive WTA wins since 2001, defeating Karolina Sprem 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3) to reach the third round as a qualifier.
Lucic served for the match in the second set and came from a break down in the third to win.
Now No. 206 but ranked No. 32 as a 16-year-old, Lucic won the first WTA tournament she ever played, taking the title at Bol as a 15-year-old and reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999. But her career was stalled by injuries and conflicts, most notably with her father, from whom the rest of the family fled by moving to the United States from her native Croatia.
Lucic decided to attempt a comeback in 2007 and has played regularly on the challenger circuit in the United States this year, winning one event.
Some other fallen prodigies also reached the third round in Birmingham.
Chakvetaze, now No. 114 but once as high as No. 5 in the world, defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 6-4. No. 134 Sesil Karatantcheva, once ranked No. 34, won 6-4, 6-4 over French Open quarterfinalist Yaroslava Shvedova.
Karolina Sprem herself is a former world No. 17 now ranked No. 103.