Caroline Wozniacki is bidding to get breakthrough at the US Open (Part One) – Tennis Special
Former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, is looking forward to get a breakthrough and click her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open 2012 this season. She is eyeing to best her 2009 final round appearance at the USTA Billie
Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York City.
After enjoying her career best season last year, the Dane is seeking her rhythm this circuit. She only made a single title-round appearance at her home soil tournament and has yet to bag a title this season.
Wozniacki started this year standing at the top of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Professionals) Premier Rankings. She enthusiastically entered the Apia International Sydney and battled past Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in three sets
to reach quarters. Apart from exiting to seventh seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, the Dane carried her rhythm at the Australian Open, first of the four Grand Slam events held in Melbourne. She cruised into the final eight and crippled 21st seed Monica
Niculescu and former world number one Jelena Jankovic en route to quarters.
However, after bowing out to the Belgian veteran Kim Clijsters in gruelling straight sets, Wozniacki fell at number four in the WTA rankings. Adding further to her misery, she crashed out to Lucie Safarova from the opening round
at the Qatar Ladies Open in Doha the following month.
The 22-year-old rebounded in the following tournament in Dubai. She failed to defend her title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships but secured a semi-final spot. The Dane eased past the Romanian qualifier, Simona Halep,
in straight sets to enter quarters. She then stomped over the Serbian top, Ana Ivanovic, in straight sets before losing against the German star, Julia Georges, in the final four.
The Danish top high-spiritedly entered the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells to defend her title. She devastated Ekaterina Makarova with a bagel and Sofia Arvidsson in three sets to reach pre-quarters.
Wozniacki re-structured before starting her campaign at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, a Premier-Mandatory event. She cruised into the semi-finals without losing a set. After overpowering 29th seeded Petra Cetkovska
and 23rd seeded Yanina Wickmayer, the Dane stunned Serena Williams for the first time in her career.
The beaming Dane reflected after securing a final four berth at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park:
"Serena is a great champion and I have very much respect for her. For me to go out and win against her is great. I have lost the three previous times. I thought I played a very good match out there. I'm pleased the way I played
- I didn't make too many unforced errors and I made her run."
She bowed out to second seeded Maria Sharapova but gained confidence boost.
"I tried to do my best, and it just wasn't enough today," Wozniacki stated after bowing out to the Russian number one. "I was very close. But this is tennis. One time you win, one time you lose."
Wozniacki maintained her intensity at the e-Boks Sony Ericsson Open in Copenhagen the following month and breezed past her rivals to make a title-round appearance.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: