Wozniacki bows out in Brisbane

Updated December 31, 2012 20:25:15

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki crashed out of the Brisbane International in the first round following a three-set defeat to Kazakh qualifier Ksenia Pervak.

Wozniacki, seeded eighth in Brisbane, was expected to cruised through to the second round comfortably but the 103-ranked Pervak upset the Dane 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).

Pervak served for the match at 5-3 in the third set, however Wozniacki was able to fight her way back and force a tie-breaker.

But Pervak, who was ranked as high as 37 in 2011, found her cool and dominated the tie-breaker 7-1 to move through to the second round to meet Pole Urszula Radwanska.

"Obviously it's tough to lose 7-6 in the third," Wozniacki said.

"It was a tough match. Could have gone both ways. She just went for it and it went in for her. Hopefully I can get some more matches in Sydney and be more prepared for Melbourne."

Among other results in the women's draw French Open runner-up Sara Errani of Italy easily accounted for Russia's Olga Puchkova 6-1, 6-3.

The fifth-seeded Errani will be joined in the last 16 by fourth-seeded German Angelique Kerber, who downed Anna Tatishvili of Georgia 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

There was little joy for local fans with Australian qualifier Bojana Bobusic losing to Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova says 2012 has been the most memorable year of her career after her victory at the French Open and carrying Russia's flag at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

"A lot of things came together," she said.

"It (French Open) was the grand slam that was going to take a little bit longer than the others for me.

"I knew that physically I needed a few extra years to get stronger to move more efficiently on that surface."

Sharapova, competing at the Brisbane International, says there is more depth in women's tennis than at any stage of her 12-year career.

"It's much more physical than it has been," she said.

"Maybe five years ago you go into a tournament and you would treat the first couple of rounds as, you know, not as a warm-up, but you don't have to go into the first round thinking, okay, this is where I really have to play my best tennis.

"Now it's certainly much different because you can be facing an opponent that's had good results, beaten top players, hasn't been consistent enough but is a really tough, tough player.

"The inconsistency obviously shows that their ranking is not high enough, therefore you're facing them in the first few rounds."

Sharapova, the second seed in Brisbane, will meet Australian Jarmila Gajdosova in her opening match of the tournament in the second round.

ABC/Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, brisbane-4000

First posted December 31, 2012 18:21:12

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Stosur sets up final against Wozniacki

Updated October 21, 2012 10:29:51

Samantha Stosur battled back from a set down to beat Serbian fourth seed Ana Ivanovic on her way to the final of the WTA Kremlin Cup tournament.

Stosur, ranked ninth in the world, won through 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 and will next face former world number one and third seed Wozniacki, who also needed three sets to get past Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4.

Former French Open champion Ivanovic, 24, was in complete command in the opening set playing aggressive tennis to produce three breaks for a 1-0 lead, as 28-year-old Stosur struggled with her serve.

No big serves were produced in the second set before the eighth game when 2011 US Open champion Stosur broke to level at 1-1 after 39 more minutes on court.

In the deciding set Stosur broke again in the fifth game. Ivanovic took a break to receive treatment for a right hip problem but she failed to recover completely allowing the Australian to make another break to enter her season's second final.

"In the first set Ana (Ivanovic) was playing quite well making good first shots in the rally which forced me to play defensively," Stosur said.

"But in the second set I started serving a lot better and played much more accurate on return. I improved my movement and started playing more offensively and with that I managed to reverse and win the match."

Earlier Arvidsson, playing her eighth career semi-final, got off to a confident start breaking early for a 3-1 lead against Dane Wozniacki.

But Wozniacki, who is currently 11th in the world, broke back twice to take the opening set in 40 minutes.

The opponents traded breaks in the second set and in the tiebreak that ensued 46th-ranked Arvidsson pulled level at one set all after one hour 46 minutes on court.

In the deciding set the rivals were still exchanging breaks but this time Monte Carlo resident Wozniacki was more accurate winning the set and the match in two hours 33 minutes.

"I was really fighting out there. It's tough on this surface to finish off the point," said Wozniacki who will play her third final of the season.

In the men's section of the event Italy's second seed Andreas Seppi, 25th in the ATP rankings, ousted Malek Jaziri of Tunisia in straight sets 6-3 6-1 to reach his fourth final of the season.

In the final the 28-year-old Seppi will face fourth-seeded Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil, who saw off Croatian hard-server Ivo Karlovic in a tight three-setter 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4.

Tags: sport, tennis, russian-federation, australia

First posted October 21, 2012 08:03:55

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Wozniacki ousts Aussie Gajdosova

Updated June 01, 2012 08:34:59

Jarmila Gajdosova's French Open came to an abrupt end as former world number one Caroline Wozniacki dished out a 6-1, 6-4 thrashing to the erratic Australian.

Victory for Wozniacki means the Danish star stays on course for a Roland Garros showdown with Maria Sharapova in a quarter of the draw blown wide open by Serena Williams' shock exit.

But Sharapova's bid hit an unexpected hurdle when her second round tie was cancelled due to Paul-Henri Mathieu's epic win over John Isner which monopolised Philippe Chatrier court in the fourth-longest match in Grand Slam history.

Sharapova will now tackle Japan's Ayumi Morita on Friday and then, if she wins, play her last 16 tie on Saturday.

Wozniacki, seeded nine and a quarter-finalist in 2010, breezed Gajdosova in a straight sets for a sixth win in six meetings against the Australian.

Gajdosova, now at 72 in the world after playing as a seed in Paris 12 months ago, paid a heavy price for her 40 unforced errors.

Wozniacki will next face 23rd seed Kaia Kanepi of Estonia with the prize of a place in the last 16 up for grabs and a huge opportunity to progress further following the elimination of Williams.

The American's stunning loss to France's Virginie Razzano on Tuesday has removed the most formidable obstacle preventing a quarter-final between Wozniacki and Sharapova.

"I'm happy and healthy," said Wozniacki, who suffered ankle problems in Madrid and breathing difficulties in Rome in the run-up to Roland Garros.

China's defending champion Li Na was also a comfortable winner, breezing past France's Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-0, 6-2 in just 52 minutes.

The 30-year-old seventh seed has looked impressive in Paris after dropping just three games in her opening round.

"I was nervous at the start, playing a French player here. I saw what happened on Tuesday (Serena Williams' defeat)," Li said.

Fourth seeded Czech Petra Kvitova, a potential quarter-final foe for Li, also coasted into the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Poland's Urszula Radwanska.

Wimbledon champion Kvitova, who only dropped three games in her opening win over Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty, needed 70 minutes to set up a clash with Russia's Nina Bratchikova.

The 22-year-old has twice reached the fourth round in Paris, including last year when she was defeated by Li, and she never looked in trouble on Thursday.

She fired 30 winners past the 21-year-old Pole, the younger sister of third seeded Agnieszka Radwanska who had put out Venus Williams on Wednesday.

"She played well, she has good hands and a good touch," said 22-year-old Kvitova of her 79th-ranked opponent.

"But she wasn't very aggressive so I was able to play my game."

The first seed to lose on Thursday was Russian 16th seed Maria Kirilenko who, under the concerned gaze of ice hockey superstar boyfriend Alex Ovechkin, slumped to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat to the Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova.

Zakopalova has made the third round for the first time in nine attempts and will face Russian 22nd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who put out Melinda Czink of Hungary 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Also heading for the exit was former world number one, and three-time semi-finalist, Jelena Jankovkic, the 19th seeded Serb who went down 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4 to America's Varvara Lepchenko, the world number 63.

"I didn't know her game that well, but there are no excuses. I was 5-2 ahead in the first set and had a set point. I let her come back, it's very frustrating," Jankovic said.

Lepchenko has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time and will face 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone, who beat Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 for a place in the last 16.

Meanwhile, Razzano was unable to repeat her heroics of Tuesday, losing her second round tie against Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus, who put out Kim Clijsters at the same stage last year, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

ABC/AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, france

First posted June 01, 2012 08:30:48

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Sharapova fights back to down Wozniacki

Updated March 30, 2012 14:00:16

Maria Sharapova advanced to her fourth Miami final after the world number two rallied to beat fourth seeded Caroline Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Sharapova, a three-time runner-up in Miami, is in her second consecutive tournament final after losing in straight sets to Victoria Azarenka at Indian Wells.

"I started off the match so well and then I just had a concentration dropped a little bit and she started playing so much better. But I am happy I pulled it through," Sharapova said.

The 24-year-old Sharapova will face either Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Marion Bartoli of France in the final. She lost in the Miami final in 2005, 2006 and last year.

Sharapova clinched the two hour, 34 minute match on the second match point but she needed the chair umpire to overrule a call on the second one after her serve was initially called long.

The chair umpire disagreed and overruled the initial call, saying it was on the line. Wozniacki did not like it but the television video replay backed up the umpire.

Sharapova stepped up for her second serve then worked her way into position so she could eventually hit an easy forehand smash at the net for the winner.

Wozniacki, who was out of challenges, said it does not matter that the replay showed the ball was in.

"I think when the ball is so close that I think he should give her a chance to challenge at least when I don't have any challenges," Wozniacki said.

"She was gonna challenge it, anyways. So if it shows it's good, it's good. If it shows it's out, it's out. The ball was so close that it might as well have been out."

Sharapova is now a perfect 4-0 in semi-finals in Miami and beat Wozniacki after losing the last two meetings to her on hardcourts.

"I was going to challenge and then he overruled it," Sharapova said.

"It is a tough situation to be in because it is close to the end of the match and both of us fought so hard for over two hours and you don't want the match to end like that."

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, united-states

First posted March 30, 2012 10:02:31

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Sharapova, Wozniacki through with walkovers

Updated April 26, 2012 06:05:35

World number two Maria Sharapova reached the quarter-finals of the WTA event in Stuttgart's while former world number one Ana Ivanovic suffered a shock first-round exit.

Sharapova progressed to the last eight of the clay-court tournament after French qualifier Alize Cornet was forced to retire after the first game of the second set with a shoulder injury in the second-round tie.

"You never want a match to finish like that, but we are approaching Roland Garros and, being French, she would want to be fit to be able to play in her home country," said Sharapova.

"I wish her the very best for a fast recovery.

"It is quite a task to adjust to clay, you need matches to find your game.

"The ball bounces differently and you have to be prepared for the longer rallies.

"The only thing that helps is playing matches, that is priceless."

Sharapova will face either US Open winner Samantha Stosur or Stuttgart's defending champion Julia Goerges, who meet late on Thursday (AEDT).

Sixth-seed Caroline Wozniacki is into the second round after opponent Jelena Jankovic was also forced to retire in their opening match.

Wozniacki took the first set 6-3, but Jankovic was forced to retire after 56 minutes with a back problem and the Dane will face Germay's Angelique Kerber for a place in the quarter-finals.

Polish fourth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska is already in the quarter-finals following her 6-3, 6-4 second-round victory over Hungary's Greta Arn.

Earlier, wild-card Mona Barthel was delighted by her shock first-round win over her former idol Ivanovic in straight sets.

The 21-year-old German blasted down 11 aces to out-muscle the Serbian, ranked 15th in the world, for a 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) victory and will now face seventh-seed Marion Bartoli of France in the second round.

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, germany

First posted April 26, 2012 06:05:35

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Clijsters downs Wozniacki to reach semis

Updated January 24, 2012 22:48:38

Defending champion Kim Clijsters reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open after beating Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets on Tuesday, ending the Dane's stay at world number one.

Clijsters held off a determined fight-back from the 21-year-old top seed to win 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in just under two hours and set up a semi-final date against Victoria Azarenka.

By failing to reach the semi-finals, Wozniacki is guaranteed to lose her number one ranking to either Azarenka, Petra Kvitova or Maria Sharapova when the new standings are released next Monday.

And the top seed will face inevitable questions over how she managed to hold onto the number one spot for 67 of the past 68 weeks without winning a grand slam.

Wozniacki played her usual counter-punching game on Tuesday with plenty of retrieving from the baseline, but she did not have a weapon to damage Clijsters.

The Belgian played much better than in her fourth round win over China's Li Na, and showed no ill-effects from the ankle injury she suffered during that match.

Clijsters broke Wozniacki four times in the first set as she dominated her younger rival on both her forehand and backhand sides.

And although Wozniacki broke twice herself, she was always playing catch-up and never looked like taking the set.

The second set followed a similar pattern, but Clijsters faltered while serving for the match at 5-3.

The tie-break went with serve until 4-4, when Clijsters stepped up to win the next three points and seal victory with a simple put-away into the open court.

"It didn't feel like being up a set and 5-2," the Belgian said.

"I really had to work at it. Caroline changed her tactics (in the second set) and became a bit more aggressive."

In the new rankings to be published next Monday, French Open champion Li Na, who fell to Clijsters in the fourth round, will slip to ninth in the world, WTA projections show.

China's Li will lose the points she earned for finishing as runner-up to Belgium's Clijsters in 2011, resulting in a drop of three places from number six.

US Open champion Samantha Stosur's first-round loss has not done her significant harm, with the Australian set to stay at number five.

And former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, who lost in the fourth round to Czech second seed Kvitova, is projected to return to the top 20. She is currently ranked number 22.

Despite her long reign at the top, Wozniacki has failed to win a grand slam, with critics saying she could not be considered the best player in the world until she takes one of the sport's major prizes.

Tennis great Martina Navratilova weighed into the debate on Monday, saying the women's game was crying out for a new star and the rankings were weighted too much towards quantity of matches, rather than quality of opposition.

"Clearly nobody feels that Wozniacki is a true number one," she said.

"If we still had the same ranking system we were using six years ago when they were giving bonus points for beating players, Kvitova would have ended up number one because she had beaten more top players than Wozniacki."

Azarenka also reached the semi-finals on Tuesday after beating Agnieszka Radwanska, while Sharapova and Kvitova play their last-four matches on Wednesday.

AFP

Tags: sport, australian-open, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 24, 2012 16:33:46

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Wozniacki, Azarenka advance in Melbourne

Updated January 20, 2012 17:50:57

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki and third-ranked Victoria Azarenka both reached the Australian Open's fourth round without dropping a set Friday as they target maiden grand slam wins.

But while Wozniacki cruised past Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-2, Azarenka was handed her first real test of the tournament before beating Germany's Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4.

Wozniacki had been severely tested during her second-round match against Georgia's Anna Tatishvili, but against Niculescu the 21-year-old Dane took control from the outset and never relented.

She won the first set in 31 minutes and only slipped up in the second when, serving for the match at 5-1, she was broken by the Romanian.

But Wozniacki broke straight back to win an entertaining match and move into the fourth round as she bids to retain the top ranking, which could be usurped by Azarenka, Petra Kvitova or Maria Sharapova after the Open.

"There's not too much rhythm playing against Monica," Wozniacki said.

"She slices the ball from both sides, she can play high and she can play aggressive.

"You need to be fast on your feet to win the points because she's so fast."

Azarenka had earlier put aside some contentious line calls in her win over Barthel.

The Belarusian, who had been expected to win easily, showed her anxiety towards the end of the contest when two line calls went against her on her third and fourth match points.

Azarenka had no Hawk-Eye challenges left after three earlier unsuccessful appeals and had to accept the calls, but after winning the match she turned and glared angrily at the official before walking to the net.

She later conceded that she may have overreacted.

"I was wrong three times so it was my fault too," she said, referring to her earlier Hawk-Eye challenges.

Although winning in straight sets, Azarenka never had it her own way against the feisty German, who won her maiden WTA title as a qualifer in Hobart last week after beating the top two seeds along the way.

"Even though I won the first set 6-2 there were a lot of long points, but I was strong and took my chances," she said.

"In the second set I lost my concentration a little but I hung in there."

She now takes on Czech Iveta Benesova, a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Russian qualifier Nina Bratchikova.

Eighth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska moved through to the fourth round largely unnoticed when she beat Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-2.

Radwanska will play Germany's Julie Goerges after the German battled past Italian Romina Oprandi 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

AFP

Tags: australian-open, tennis, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 20, 2012 13:00:09

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Nadal, Wozniacki cruise through to third round

Updated January 18, 2012 18:40:13

World number two Rafael Nadal overcame Germany's Tommy Haas in straight sets to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Nadal, a 10-time grand slam champion, won 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours, 29 minutes to reach the last 32 of the tournament he won in 2009.

The Spanish left-hander will face either American Donald Young or Lukas Lacko of Slovakia in the third round.

Haas, a three-time semi-finalist in Melbourne, gave a reminder of his past glories with some great shot-making, particularly with his trademark one-handed backhand.

"He's a fantastic player and he's had a lot of injuries over the last couple of years and it's great to see him back," Nadal said.

Nadal, who again played with his right knee heavily bandaged after a pre-tournament injury scare, said he was happy with the knee's progress.

"It's much better and I'm happy with how the knee is improving and I played today without any problems," he said.

Haas, who reached the number two ranking in 2002 before a frustrating succession of injuries dropped his ranking to a current 190, had his opening two service games broken as Nadal began strongly.

Haas, at 33, is the oldest player in the men's singles draw at this year's Australian Open.

Meanwhile in the women's draw, world number one Caroline Wozniacki survived a second-set fightback from Georgia's Anna Tatishvili to reach the third round 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).

The top-seeded Dane looked headed for an easy win when she raced through the first set but she had to hang on against the free-hitting Tatishvili to win in an hour and 49 minutes.

Wozniacki was pushed hard throughout the first set by Tatishvili, a player she has known since they were both 11 years old, and she never had it her own way despite the 6-1 scoreline.

"We played doubles together in juniors here once and I think we made the semi-finals -- she knows my game and I know hers," Wozniacki said.

ABC/AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 18, 2012 18:16:30

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Kvitova on track as Wozniacki loses

Updated January 12, 2012 07:28:39

Caroline Wozniacki has been dumped from the Sydney International, opening the way for rival Petra Kvitova to seize the world number one ranking heading into next week's Australian Open.

Wozniacki crashed out to Polish world number eight Agnieszka Radwanska, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the quarter-finals after being broken while serving out for the match at 5-4 in the second set.

Radwanska will now face Belarussian third seed Victoria Azarenka in Thursday's semis, with Kvitova lining up against Chinese defending champion Li Na in the day's other semi-final.

Wimbledon champion Kvitova had an emphatic straight sets victory over Daniela Hantuchova, while world number five Li downed Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).

Kvitova is on track to take the number one ranking by winning the tournament.

"To be honest, I don't think about it (losing top ranking)," Wozniacki said.

"The most important thing is to be healthy and be able play and play well.

"What happens happens. It doesn't matter."

Wozniacki, whose tenure at the top of the women's singles rankings comes despite not yet winning a grand slam in 19 attempts, was taken to a third set by Radwanska after appearing to be in a winning position.

The Dane seemed troubled by a left wrist injury as Radwanska broke her three times in the final to claim only her second victory in seven meetings.

"I hope it's not serious. I could feel it, especially in the third set," Wozniacki said.

"I'm going to go get it checked out tomorrow, and hopefully it's OK.

"Let's just hope for the best. I should be completely fine for Australian Open."

Earlier Kvitova reeled off the opening eight games before dishing out a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Hantuchova, the Slovak number 21.

Kvitova, who like Li has been in top form in preparation for the season's first grand slam in Melbourne, swept to victory, breaking Hantuchova's service five times for her fourth win over the Slovakian.

"I was surprised that I played well. In these (windy) conditions it's very tough to play," Kvitova said.

"Yeah, I'm still on the track. But still it's two matches, and the next one is really tough against Li Na," Kvitova said.

"She is tough opponent. She's in top five, so it will be good match for tomorrow."

Li said she was playing her best tennis since before last year's Wimbledon as she battled into the semi-finals.

The world number five needed one hour 50 minutes to subdue battling Czech Safarova in blustery conditions to move into the last four in the defence of the Sydney title she won last year.

It was Li's third win this week, continuing her upsurge in form after a dismal follow-up to her landmark French Open success at Roland Garros, which saw her become the first Asian to win a grand slam title.

Li, 29, was clearly relieved to have put her problems of the second half of 2011 behind her and is eyeing back-to-back Sydney finals.

"Of course I'm feeling good," she said.

"Win here last year and this year reach the semis in just the beginning of the year, yeah, I am feeling much, much stronger."

Li, who only won seven matches after her French Open breakthrough, said she was back in the form she had enjoyed prior to Wimbledon, where she bowed out to Germany's Sabine Lisicki in the second round.

"Last year before Wimbledon," Li said, when asked the last time she was playing at this level.

"I mean, even in Wimbledon I was feeling I was playing well. But after that I don't know what happened. Didn't work."

Belarussian Azarenka downed France's Marion Bartoli 7-5, 6-4 in their quarter-final.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted January 11, 2012 22:16:01

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Danes lose despite Wozniacki triumph

Updated January 04, 2012 20:08:51

A rusty world number one Caroline Wozniacki dusted off the cobwebs but it was not enough to lift Denmark to victory in its Hopman Cup tie against Bulgaria in Perth.

Wozniacki committed a glut of unforced errors in her singles contest against Tsvetana Pironkova before prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

World number 76 Grigor Dimitrov levelled with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win over little-known Dane Frederik Nielsen, before Bulgaria secured the tie with a 3-6 6-4 10-1 (match tie-break) triumph in the deciding mixed doubles.

Wozniacki, who dispatched America's Bethanie Mattek-Sands in straight sets on Monday, was surprisingly off her game against Pironkova despite a more settled lead-in this time around.

Against Mattek-Sands she encountered few problems despite making the flight from Thailand to Perth just hours before the match.

Wozniacki did not have it as easy against Pironkova, whose power game often had the glamorous Dane on the back foot.

Both players struggled to hold serve throughout the 144-minute contest, with Wozniacki hitting a glut of unforced errors in a performance that will hardly worry the women's field contesting the Australian Open.

Wozniacki, who is yet to win a major despite spending more than 60 weeks as world number one, was also handed a code violation for receiving coaching from her father during the seventh game of the third set.

"It was a tough match. I like to give the spectators a little bit of value for their money," Wozniacki said.

"I'm not a real morning person so 9:30 is pretty early for me. But I enjoy being out here."

Nielsen, who pushed world number eight Mardy Fish to three sets on Monday, put up stiff resistance in the first set before Dimitrov asserted his dominance in the second.

"It was definitely a tough match today. The guy was attacking at every opportunity," Dimitrov said.

"I got a bit lucky on some shots. He played some great tennis."

The match of the tournament will come on Friday, when Wozniacki confronts world number two Petra Kvitova, who many believe would be a more deserved recipient of the top ranking following her Wimbledon success.

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, perth-6000

First posted January 04, 2012 20:08:51

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Wozniacki to play Sydney International

Updated December 01, 2011 12:41:29

World number one Caroline Wozniacki will play in next month's Sydney International for a fourth consecutive year.

The 21-year-old Danish star, who finished as the top-ranked player for the second straight season, joins US Open champion Sam Stosur and French Open winner Li Na at the January 8-14 event.

Wozniacki claimed six WTA Tour titles this year and had semi-final appearances at the Australian Open and US Open.

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted December 01, 2011 12:41:29

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Wozniacki set for Hopman Cup

Updated October 11, 2011 17:45:23

World number one Caroline Wozniacki has signed on for this summer's Hopman Cup mixed teams tournament in Perth.

Wozniacki, who has won 18 WTA titles but is yet to break through for a major, will join forces with Frederik Nielsen to represent Denmark for the December 31-January 7 event.

The teams for France, Spain and debutant Bulgaria were also announced on Tuesday, rounding out the eight-team field after Australia, China, United States and Czech Republic were previously confirmed.

France will be represented by world number 11 Marion Bartoli and world number 17 Richard Gasquet, who possesses arguably the most spectacular one-handed backhand in the men's game.

Three-times winner Spain will boast world number 24 Fernando Verdasco and world number 28 Anabel Medina Garrigues.

And Bulgaria, which will make its Hopman Cup debut, will rely on rising stars Tsvetana Pironkova and Grigor Dimitrov to cause some upsets.

Already announced were the Australian team of Jarmila Gajdosova and Lleyton Hewitt, China's Li Na and Wu Di, Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych and United States' Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish.

AAP

Tags: tennis, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted October 11, 2011 16:55:06

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Wozniacki out, Ivanovic joins casualty list

Updated October 08, 2011 10:07:32

Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki suffered a humiliating defeat in the China Open quarter-finals as Italian Flavia Pennetta ran rampant on Friday.

The world number one's game collapsed in the second set and she was repeatedly left stranded by Pennetta's repertoire of lobs, volleys and powerful baseline returns.

Facing match point, Wozniacki staged a dramatic comeback to force a tie break in the third set but Pennetta superbly lobbed the flat-footed Dane to seal the match 3-6, 6-0, 7-6.

Wozniacki was the only top 10 women's player left in the event.

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic became the latest high-profile player to exit the tournament when the Serb retired from her quarter-final against Agnieszka Radwanska with back problems.

The 23-year-old was a set down when the injury she sustained last week in Tokyo flared up in the second set.

Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams pulled out of the competition a week ago, Victoria Azarenka failed to show for her match on Thursday due to injury while home hope Li Na exited in the first round, Sam Stosur went out in the second and Vera Zvonareva the third.

In the men's draw, world number one and 2010 champion Novak Djokovic was forced to pull out because of a back injury.

Ivanovic said she had been fighting a losing battle all week.

"I have had lots of treatments on the injury, but it hasn't got much better," the Serb said.

"I've been fighting it the whole week. I had an MRI here yesterday. The doctors are still looking at the results.

"I'm talking to physios and just making sure about the next steps to see what's wrong and what's going on. It's too early to say anything."

Romanian Monica Niculescu came from behind to beat Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to clinch a semi-final berth while in the men's competition Tomas Berdych thrashed Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-0 to seal a place in the last four.

The Czech will play his seventh semi-final of the year against French top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who dispatched Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-4.

Croatian Ivan Ljubicic beat Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2 and will Croatian Marin Cilic, a winner over South African Kevin Anderson 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-1.

Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, china

First posted October 07, 2011 23:19:25

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Wozniacki ramps up Wimbledon sexism row

Updated June 24, 2011 23:14:00

World number one Caroline Wozniacki added to the growing controversy over Wimbledon's decision to banish leading female stars to the outside courts as the Dane insisted she deserved to play on Centre Court.

Wozniacki was the latest woman to be scheduled away from the All England Club's two main show courts while lower ranked players like Feliciano Lopez and Daniela Huntuchova were placed on Centre Court on Friday.

Defending women's champion Serena Williams launched a scathing attack on club officials, effectively accusing them of sexism, after she and sister Venus - who have nine Wimbledon titles between them - were both sent to play on Court Two this week.

Wozniacki ignored her exile on Court Two to beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-1, 6-3 and set up a third round clash against Australian 27th seed Jarmila Gajdosova.

But the 20-year-old was unhappy at being shoved out to the far reaches of the complex and said: "Obviously I think I deserve to play on one of the bigger courts.

"Hopefully my next match I'll have the chance to play on one of the bigger ones. We have to see."

The main reason why so many top women have played away from Centre Court and Court One is the All England Club's unofficial policy of having two men's matches in the three ties scheduled on each of the show courts.

Wozniacki claims that is unfair and she added: "I think everyone wants to play on Centre Court. I think some days it would be nice if there were two women's matches in there.

"It's tradition and I think the traditions are tough to change here. It's Wimbledon, so you never know. Here you just need to play.

"It's up to the tournament to decide where we're going to play. I just go out there and I try to win.

"Serena played on Court 2 and she's won here so many times. So if she can play on Court 2, then I guess I can too."

Wozniacki has failed to make it past the Wimbledon fourth round in four attempts.

But the 20-year-old needed 59 minutes to win her first round match and she made short work of dispatching Razzano in just over an hour.

Razzano played the recent French Open in honour of her fiance and coach Stephane Vidal, who died from a brain tumour last month.

The world number 96 is determined not to let the tragedy ruin her career and she enjoyed a gritty three-set victory over India's Sania Mirza in the first round.

But she never looked likely to shock Wozniacki after losing the first set in emphatic fashion.

Wozniacki's power and precision was too much for Razzano to handle and the Dane broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set before serving out the match.

- AFP

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First posted June 24, 2011 23:00:00

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Wozniacki crashes out in Paris

Published:Saturday, May 28, 2011 10:01 AEST

Caroline Wozniacki wipes her face with a towel as she shows her dejection during the women's singles round three match against Daniela Hantuchova on day six of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 27, 2011.

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Wozniacki and Schiavone advance

Updated May 26, 2011 06:50:00

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki and defending champion Francesca Schiavone ignored the fickle favours of the French Open crowd to reach the third round on Wednesday.

Wozniacki felt the wrath of the Roland Garros fans after disputing a line call in her 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) defeat of Aleksandra Wozniak, while Schiavone's 6-1, 6-2 win over Vesna Dolonts unfolded at a half-empty Court Phillipe Chatrier.

Wozniacki, bidding to win a first ever Grand Slam, meets 28th seed Daniela Hantuchova in the last 32, with Schiavone - the first ever Italian woman to win a major - set to face Chinese 29th seed Peng Shuai.

Having won her first set 6-3, Wozniacki found herself 6-3 down in a second-set tie-break when an attempted lob was called long by a line judge, handing Wozniak three set points and a huge chance to level the match.

Wozniacki, the 20-year-old world number one, took exception to the decision and a stand-off with the umpire ensued, prompting jeers to ring out around the Court Philippe Chatrier arena.

The delay appeared to unsettle Canadian qualifier Wozniak, however, and when play resumed she conceded the next five points in succession to hand Wozniacki a place in round three.

"The ball was going very fast, it wasn't slow, and if both the linesman and the umpire didn't see it when it was going like this, I wanted the linesman to confirm it was the mark that was shown," explained Wozniacki.

The centre court was pock-marked by empty seats by the time Schiavone arrived to tackle world number 101 Dolonts in the early evening, despite warm sunshine illuminating proceedings on the western edge of the French capital.

Dolonts, making her main draw debut at Roland Garros, broke Schiavone in her opening game but the tenacious 30-year-old broke straight back and took a 3-1 lead when the Russian found the net with a backhand from the back of the court.

Schiavone promptly sewed up the first set and was quickly on the front foot in the second, breaking Dolonts three times in succession and then overcoming a brief late flurry from her opponent to complete a 72-minute victory.

Russian third seed Vera Zvonareva came within a whisker of succumbing to the biggest upset of the tournament to date before eventually prevailing 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 against injury-stricken German qualifier Sabine Lisicki.

Lisicki, the former world number 22, spurned a match point at 5-2 up in the third set before the injury jinx that kept her off the courts for five months last year returned, prompting a long injury time-out that left her in tears.

Her opponent's momentum having evaporated, Zvonareva proceeded to win the next five games in succession to reach the last 32, after which a weeping Lisicki departed the scene on a stretcher.

Australian eighth seed Samatha Stosur, beaten by Schiavone in last year's final, crushed Romanian 19-year-old Simona Halep 6-0, 6-2 in her second-round match.

The 27-year-old world number six takes on Gisela Dulko in the third round, after the unseeded Argentine comfortably beat Bulgarian 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-2.

"It's a good match-up for me," said Stosur on the draw with Dulko.

"We know each other's games quite well. It will come down to who can play better on the day."

There were also victories for Serbian former world number one Jelena Jankovic, France's Marion Bartoli and 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, the 10th, 11th and 13th seeds respectively.

Bartoli beat Belarusian qualifier Olgo Govortsova 6-4, 6-7 (1-7), 6-2, Jankovic saw off Russia's Vera Dushevina 6-3, 6-2 and Kuznetsova crushed Romanian 20-year-old Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 6-1.

- AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, france

First posted May 26, 2011 06:05:00

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Wozniacki stops for a photo

Published:Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:58 AEST

Fans take a photo of themselves with Caroline Wozniacki after her victory over Kimiko Date-Krumm during their first round match at the French Open at the Roland Garros in Paris on May 23, 2011.

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Wozniacki serves up in first round

Published:Tuesday, May 24, 2011 6:36 AEST

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark serves during the women's singles round one match against Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan on day two of the French Open at Roland Garros on May 23, 2011.

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Age no obstacle for Wozniacki

Posted May 24, 2011 06:23:00

World number one Caroline Wozniacki showed no respect for her elders at the French Open on Monday, crushing Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm - a woman twice her age - 6-0, 6-2 in the first round.

Top-seeded Wozniacki, 20, took just 60 minutes to dispose of the 40-year-old Date-Krumm and will now face her near-namesake Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada for a place in the last 32.

"It was a good start to the tournament for me," said Wozniacki.

"The last time I played Kimiko it was a bit of a longer match, at Wimbledon (in 2009, when Wozniacki won 5-7, 6-3, 6-1).

"She plays a different kind of tennis so it was difficult to play as I wanted to. But a win is a win, so I'm happy to be through to the next round.

"Physically, I'm feeling good and ready to play this tournament."

The Danish star, who won her fourth title of 2011 in Brussels last week, is bidding to go beyond the French Open quarter-finals for the first time, having lost to eventual champion Francesca Schiavone in the last eight last year.

Clad in a blue dress and with heavy strapping on her left thigh, Wozniacki broke Date-Krumm at the first attempt on Court Philippe Chatrier and then saved break point with an ace before going 3-0 up.

An inopportune double-fault from Date-Krumm allowed Wozniacki to move 4-0 ahead and moments later the Dane took the set by charging to the net to gobble up an under-hit drop-shot from her opponent.

Date-Krumm, who made her Roland Garros debut a year before Wozniacki was born, was broken in the sixth game of the second set and wilted on the first match point when she sent a forehand beyond the baseline.

Earlier, defending champion Schiavone swept into the second round by beating American 19-year-old Melanie Oudin 6-2, 6-0 on centre court.

Fifth seed Schiavone, who last year became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam, will meet Russian Vesna Dolonts for a third-round berth.

"I'm still shaking a little bit," admitted Schiavone, after returning to the scene of her emotional victory over Australia's Samantha Stosur in last year's final. "There was a lot of adrenaline. I felt really happy to be there."

Russian third seed Vera Zvonareva, a losing finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010, joined Schiavone in the second round when she overcame Spanish veteran Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Zvonareva's next opponent is German qualifier Sabine Lisicki.

Home favourite Marion Bartoli, the 11th seed, flirted with becoming the biggest casualty in the women's draw so far, conceding the first set to Georgian Grand Slam debutant Anna Tatishvili before storming back to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.

"It was an absolutely catastrophic start," said Bartoli.

"Even in my worst nightmares, I couldn't have imagined a start like that. But in the second set I started from zero, forgot about the first set, and it started to get better."

Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova, who triumphed in the Madrid Masters on clay earlier this month, eased into the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of Hungary's Greta Arn.

Agnieszka Radwanska, the 12th seed from Poland, encountered similarly limited resistance from Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, winning 6-1, 6-2.

There was no such joy, however, for Russian 26th seed Nadia Petrova and Czech number 31 seed Klara Zakopalova, who both went out.

Petrova went down 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 to Australia's Anastasia Rodionova, with Zakopalova falling 7-5, 6-1 against Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan.

- AFP

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Wozniacki claims Brussels crown

Posted May 22, 2011 06:26:00

Danish world number one Caroline Wozniacki has warmed up for the French Open in style with a three-set win over Chinese hope Shuai Peng in the WTA Brussels Open final.

Wozniacki, yet to land a grand slam, started nervously as Peng landed the first set 6-2 but righted herself to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and take her 16th career title.

The Dane had already gained a boost in the semis with her three-set win over reigning French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Wozniacki now heads for Paris where she faces Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm in her first round match on the red clay.

Peng, ranked 31 in the world, had seen off number two seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia in her semi but was unable to capitalise on her strong start as Wozniacki roared back for her fourth title of the season having had treatment to her left thigh in the opening set.

"I needed this tournament to finalise my preparations for Roland Garros," said Wozniacki, who finally outlasted Peng after two hours and 35 minutes to add Brussels to title wins this campaign at Dubai, Indian Wells and Charleston.

- AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, belgium

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