Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has become the third of Novak Djokovic’s opponents to have his US Open run ended by injury, handing the Serb a spot in the semi-finals.
Advertisement
Once ranked No. 1 for 49 consecutive weeks in 2011, Wozniacki is now No. 74 after a series of injuries. This is her fourth time reaching the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
There is a comfort level that Wozniacki senses in playing at the Open that comes nowhere else, and she knows what it is to wait for court time in NY. “Even if I had no injury, it would be tough to beat her”, Sevastova said. “No matter what my ranking is, I always feel like I’m a target”. “I think she’s proud of me to be the next one after her”. “I’m not surprised that I could make it this far because I always believe in myself and I always think that – you know, when I got on court I always believe that I’ll win the match”, the Dane said. My mind was just a little bit everywhere. But unlike a few of those losses, this was neither shocking nor complicated. Wozniacki was once a No. 1 – in 2010 and 2011. Not only did she lift her maiden Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne, she defended a title for the first time in her career by winning Stuttgart once again, on home soil. But she’s still just 26.
She managed to save a match point in the ninth game of the second set but Sevastova held her nerve to secure victory after 1 hour and 42 minutes.
At the same time, Wozniacki added it would be unusual not to see Serena Williams as the world no. 1. The recent break left her feeling a little more mellow. Probably because the Denmark native hadn’t won a single match at a major this season prior to the U.S. Open. “Now I’m like, I don’t have to do anything”. “I definitely don’t think I was playing my best. Her outstanding results reflect this, and she truly deserves to be the new WTA World No.1”. Keys has Part A down pat; it’s the consistency that flummoxes her.
“I get another day”, Wozniacki said.
“When you’re hampered, you’re thinking of other things”.
The barrage unnerved Keys. “So I feel real sorry for her”, Wozniacki said in an on-court interview in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I love to play here”.
“I have been having some serious left knee problems”, Williams said.
Kvitova went for it during the match, but his 43 unforced errors trumped her 32 winners, and the Czech double faulted on match point. Keys’ serve is already one of the most feared weapons in tennis; it rivals Serena’s own.
“Karolina played great today”. A usually suspect stroke, she has been broken in just nine service games over five matches, a low number.
Advertisement
True, Wozniacki’s serve is improved. It’s been a great week or ten days for me. Wozniacki still hasn’t won a major, but she has that fundamental ability to keep the ball between the stripes. This season, Kerber is playing well above her level, something that Wozniacki isn’t thinking about, since she didn’t watch tennis when she was hurt.
