Caroline Wozniacki vs Christina McHale – Quarterfinal Preview: New Haven Open 2011
With the US Open about to begin in the three days time, all tennis fans are anxiously waiting to see the world number one, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, in action against the 66th ranked American, Christina McHale,
in the quarter-finals of New Haven Open at Yale on Thursday afternoon.
Being a WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier-level tournament, New Haven Open at Yale is the last stop before the last Grand Slam of the year begins in New York. The competition is staged on the hard courts of the Cullman-Heyman
Tennis Center in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, with the top class contestants competing to get their touch for the upcoming US Open.
Seeded at number one in the tournament, Wozniacki received a bye to the second round of the tournament to face the unseeded Slovenian, Polona Hercog, in the second round. The belligerent Dane absolutely blew away Hercog in straight
sets, 6-3, 6-0, to make it to face McHale in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Getting a wildcard to play in the tournament, McHale carried on her magnificent form at New Haven Open at Yale, upsetting the world number 16, Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, in the opening round. The American kept her winning momentum
in the next round as well, defeating Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, to book a date with the world number one, Wozniacki, in the round of eight.
Wozniacki’s recent form has faced a serious slump, as the world number one suffered opening round dismissals at Toronto and Cincinnati. She has been victorious in 50 out of 62 matches she played in the current WTA season and has
already bagged five championship titles so far. Being the top ranked player in the world, Wozniacki is considered the hot favourite for winning the Thursday’s contest and then the title as well, but it can’t be ignored that the Dane suffered a humiliating
straight sets defeat at the hands of McHale last week at Cincinnati.
The two women met for the first time in the opening round of Cincinnati Open and McHale beat all the odds to dispense out Wozniacki in straight sets 6-4, 7-5. The 19-year-old American has won 33 singles encounter this year and
has been beaten in 23 matches. Being the 66th ranked player in the world, McHale might be considered to be an easy task for Wozniacki, but the American has proven her mettle last year by taking down the Dane.
After winning her second round matchup, McHale was asked about the ominous rematch against the world number one. “I just found out about it so I haven’t had too much time to think about it, but I’m excited to play her again,” she
expressed. “Last week I served well, moved well, and got to a lot. I’m just going to play my game and not worry about what she might be changing.”
After defeating Kuznetsova and Wozniacki in a one week’s time, McHale is having a sky high confidence for playing the quarter-final. The matchup appears evenly poised but being the top ranked player in the world, Wozniacki will
surely have a slight advantage over McHale.
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