Caroline Wozniacki vs. Serena Williams: quarter-final preview – Sony Ericsson Open 2012
Another clash between the two former world number one players is booked at the Sony Ericsson Open this week. Number four seed Dane competitor, Caroline Wozniacki, will go one-on-one against the American tennis icon, Serena Williams,
in the quarter-final of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Mandatory event.
The highly anticipated combat will be played on the outdoor hard courts of Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami, Florida. A number of enthralling and stiff encounters have already been witnessed in the tournament so far but the
ever-thrilling quarter-final round is yet to begin. A total of 32 players were awarded the seeds in the mega event but only seven are now alive in the voyage to glory. The only unseeded contestant in the quarter-finals is the former world number one, Venus
Williams, who was awarded a wildcard to be part of the star-studded field after a lengthy layoff from the professional circuit.
Currently holding the sixth spot in the WTA World Rankings, Wozniacki was toppled from the top world number one spot earlier this by Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and is straining extremely hard to reclaim her position. She has
been phenomenal in the Sony Ericsson Open so far and hasn’t dropped a single set en route to the quarter-finals. The Dane outplayed 23rd seed Belgian, Yanina Wickmayer in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-0, in the fourth round to book a battle with Serena
in the round of eight.
Serena, on the other hand, is labouring to get back her vintage form since joining the WTA Tour after her injury layoff. She too has been belligerent in all of her initial round matches, registering straight sets victories against
all the opponents she faced. The American veteran outmuscled the sixth seed Aussie tennis ace, Samantha Stosur, 7-5, 6-3, to reach the quarter-final draw of the tournament.
Both of these top-class competitors have faced each other on three prior occasions, with Serena winning all the encounters to have a 3-0 lead over the Dane. The last time these two went head on was in the semi-final of the 2011
US Open. Serena went on to earn a championship shot at the Grand Slam event but unfortunately lost to Stosur in the final. She has already avenged Stosur in the fourth round and desires to keep the clean sheet against Wozniacki in her next matchup due to be
played on Tuesday.
"I really, really, really, really like Caroline as a person and as a girl and as someone on the tour," Williams said of the Dane after winning her fourth round clash against Stosur. "I like her a lot. She's a good girl and it will
be a tough match. It will be like going out there against a good friend. I always said if I can play Venus, then I'm okay playing anybody."
With a 3-0 lead in the head-to-head series and her current ballistic form, Serena is the clear hot favourite for winning the quarter-final match. Her hard-hitting game play is feared by all competitors but Wozniacki’s crafty game
has the flexibility to dodge any world class opponent on her day. It will be a fierce competition if Wozniacki manages to take down Serena; otherwise, the American will wrap it off in straight sets to reach the semis.
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