Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 upset of fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova could be analyzed on a game-by-game basis, and it would be an exhausting proposition. The first two sets were won by the player who fell behind an early break, and that reverse-momentum lingered into a captivating third set. In the decider, the 34-year-old, 79th-ranked Croat took a 3-1 lead, dropped the next three games, left the court for a six-minute injury timeout—and then won the next eight points to put her a service hold away from the semis. Lucic-Baroni bucked the trend and held serve to prevail in this topsy-turvy contest, which put her into the final four at a major 18 years after last doing so.
But that doesn’t completely explain why Lucic-Baroni, who before that final game put on a necklace which had sat idle all match, fell to the court in tears. Her emotions continued to pour out during a touching on-court interview with Rennae Stubbs that revealed the catharsis of her achievement. From beginning to end, this is worth your time: