On Tuesday night, Caroline Wozniacki cruised into the US Open semifinals over a hindered Anastasija Sevastova, 6-0, 6-2. Wozniacki clearly has the upper hand in dealing with latter stages of this tournament.
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In New York, she looked to have put that misery behind her as she scored her first top 10 wins of the year, over ninth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round and eighth seed Madison Keys in the last 16.
When she finally did win a game the 11th of the match, 52 minutes in Sevastova threw her head back and smiled. “You have to grind it out; it s not pretty but you get a good workout as you have to run a lot”. “I think that right now, I can win matches like that”.
So imagine the little ripple of surprise Wozniacki caused the other day after she’d upset Keys – playing some tennis that was nearly as immaculate as her win over Sevastova – and actually bragged a little, saying, “I think it sucks for some of the other players to have to play me early” in tournaments. A usually suspect stroke, she has been broken in just nine service games over five matches, a low number.
The two-time runner-up, ranked at a lowly 74 after an injury-hit campaign, eased to a 6-0, 6-2 win and next faces second seed Angelique Kerber for a place in Saturday’s final.
For both women, the U.S. Open has been by far the most successful of the majors.
“After such a tough year, it’s incredible to be in the quarter-finals”, said the 26-year-old whose Grand Slam record this year had seen first round losses in Australia and Wimbledon while she sat out Roland Garros. Kerber has beaten Wozniacki in four of the last six meetings and her last loss was in Tokyo in 2015. “Last year I was not playing my best in the big tournaments”.
After the 33-year-old Italian lost to Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-0 in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, Vinci was asked by a reporter whether she’d be back in 2017. Keys vs. Wozniacki begins about 1 p.m. ET is an afternoon delight.
“I’m staying more positive and believing in my game”, Kerber said.
“I don’t want to really talk about it now, ” Wozniacki told reporters about the retirement rumors. “So it fits my game well”. “I had a lot of injuries”.
Trailing 6-3, 5-2, Baghdatis reacted testily when he was warned, asking the chair umpire “What if I want to check the time?”
Sevastova could not cope with the Dane’s aggressive, offensive-minded approach under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s something that will take a long time before someone else gets to that level, ‘ commented Wozniacki.
But after being two points from taking the first set against Kerber while serving for it at 5-4, 30-all, the No. 7-seeded Vinci faltered badly. In both matches, Keys was two points away from being sent home.
Wozniacki whipped her best weapon, the two-handed backhand, crosscourt to keep Keys from commanding the court with her favored forehand.
Keys is well aware that Denmark’s Wozniacki, who has an apartment in Manhattan, is a fan favorite at the U.S. Open who will draw plenty of cheers Sunday.
Progress to the next round already makes this Grand Slam competition the most successful major tournament for the Dane in two years.
Vinci was wearing a U.S. Olympic team T-shirt after Friday’s victory.
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Her serve is of course her biggest weapon, and should neutralise the advantages that Williams enjoys with her own.
