2011 Australian Open - Caroline Wozniacki moves closer to maiden title
World number 1 Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark, reached her career best at the Australian Open when she made it into the semi-final of the event.
This will be the Dane’s third semi-final appearance at any Grand Slam having made it to as far as the semis of the United States Open for the last two years.
Pitted against eighth seed, Francesca Schiavone, Wozniacki survived an early scare before doing away with the Italian in a three set win.
Schiavone had come into the quarterfinal round after playing the longest Grand Slam match ever against Svetlana Kuznetsova, outlasting the Russian 4-6, 6-1, 16-14.
This was the pair’s fifth meeting on court with the head-to-head score resting at 2-2. Bouncing back from being one set down, Wozniacki succeeded in taking a 3-2 lead in the score.
The last time the pair had met at a quarterfinal match of any major was in 2008 when the pair met at Roland Garros. The Italian had been successful then.
Schiavone, started the onslaught on the number one ranked player, serving first in the opener.
However, Wozniacki held her own, keeping the score tied for six games. Leading the score 4-3, Schiavone was able to break Wozniacki’s service in the eighth game.
Winning the ninth game on her service, Schiavone went 1-0 in the set score securing a 6-3 win in the first set.
Bouncing back in the second set, Wozniacki was able to reverse the score and secure a 6-3 victory followed by another 6-3 victory in the third set.
In a match that lasted almost two hours and thirty minutes, Wozniacki hit almost four times less winners than Schiavone but cashing in on three times more unforced errors committed by the Italian, Wozniacki was able to move into the semis, her first at the Australian Open.
The Dane lost 39 of 88 points on service and converted 6 of 14 break points to secure a berth for herself in the semis. Coming into the semis, Wozniacki was able to secure her number one position in the rankings.
Wozniacki will next play the 2010 semi-finalist here, Li Na. The Chinese number one moved into the semis after doing away with Andrea Petkovic in straight sets.
Li Na hit 13 aces including 2 aces and committed five less unforced errors than Petkovic to secure a 6-2, 6-4 victory in less than 90 minutes. Na lost 17 of 52 points on service and converted 5 of 8 break points to move ahead in the event.
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