Melbourne, Jan. 28: Jelena Dokic has revealed she briefly retired from tennis in mid-2007, before being drawn back to the game for what she vowed would be one last attempt to resurrect her fallen career.

"I actually made the decision," she told a small group of journalists today upon returning to Melbourne Park after Tuesday night''s 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 loss to third seed Dinara Safina in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

"And about four days later, I changed my mind," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her, as saying.

Dokic said her low point had come during the middle months of that year, when she was overweight and depressed, but while reluctant to put a figure on her revised rankings ambitions, a return to the top 10 for the world No. 4 "is not out of the question", she believes.

The Australian wildcard described her four-match winning run in the year''s opening slam as a life and career changing experience, and admitted she expected it would be difficult to adjust to again playing outside Rod Laver Arena, from where she drew such support as the first local woman to reach the last eight since Alicia Molik in 2005.

Having arrived at the Open without any type of endorsement deal, for either racquets or clothing, her management is now in negotiations with several potential sponsors. Her quarter-finalists cheque of more than 180,000 dollars would also ease the financial pressure.

"Obviously it makes things easier, but I don''t play because of the money," she said.

Dokic said she had been reunited with her Sydney-based mother, Liliana, in Melbourne after last month''s wildcard playoff, and looked forward to resuming her Fed Cup career in the Asia/Oceania zone competition in Perth next week. (ANI)