BNP Paribas Open: Caroline Wozniacki vs. Alisa Kleybanova - Fourth Round Preview
World number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark will be facing the 22nd seeded Russian, Alisa Kleybanova in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California. An enthralling contest is predicted as the both players are in sublime form and have achieved assertive victories en route to the fourth round.
Top ranked Wozniacki crushed 28th seeded Martinez Sanchez of Spain in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, to make a place in the fourth round of the tournament. Kleybanova upset 13th seeded Italian, Flavia Pannetta, to meet Wozniacki in the round of 16 to battle for a quarter-final berth.
Wozniacki and Kleybanova have faced each other two times in 2009, with the Dane winning both encounters. The top seed first played against Kleybanova at Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open in the round of 16 and outclassed the Russian in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, but lost in the final against to then world number one Dinara Safina of Russia. Their next battle took place in the first round of the AEGON International in Eastbourne where Wozniacki repeated the feat by winning 6-3, 6-2, and won the tournament later.
The top seed Dane is enjoying her prime form in the running Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) season. She made it to the semi-final of the Australian Open this year, where China’s Li Na ended her voyage and Wozniacki lost her top spot in the world rankings to Belgium’s Kim Clijsters a fortnight later. The 20-year-old Dane recaptured the number one ranking after her victory at the Dubai International Championships. The most recent tournament she played was the Qatar Ladies Open where she lost the final to world number three, Vera Zvonareva.
Kleybanova has also had a good WTA season so far and reached the semi-final of the Medibank International Sydney, by upsetting world number five Francesca Schiavone in the first round. She was defeated by third seed Kim Clijsters in an epic three-set battle in the semi-final. Her run so far in the BNP Paribas Open is quite appreciable as she hasn’t dropped a single set in her initial round matches. Kleybanova appears in perfect form to compete against the world number one player and it can be said that Wozniacki will not get an easy pass through the fourth round.
Wozniacki has yet to lose a set in the Paribas Open and has been extremely dominating in her opening round matches. The Dane’s serve wasn’t broken once in her last contest against Sanchez and she had not committed a single double fault in two matches of the tournament, depicting the level of accuracy the top seed has in her serve. She had served above 70 per cent in the both matches of the tournament, making her service the prime weapon against her opponents.
The Russian has to worry for her serve accuracy as she has been delivering serve at round about 50 per cent mark so far. She also spilled six double faults in her match against Agnes Szavay in the second round. She certainly needs immediate rectification in her first serve accuracy if she desires any success against strong competitors like Wozniacki.
No apparent weak points are found in the game play of the Wozniacki, as she is proclaimed to be the best woman tennis player these days. Having a head-to-head record of 2-0 against Kleybanova, it is fair to say that the world number one definitely has a psychological advantage against the Russian. Kleybanova will need to put up a lot of effort if she looks to outplay Wozniacki and make it to the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open.
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