After a night of exemplary consistency, self-discipline and grit, Caroline Wozniacki arrived at match level towards her previous rival Petra Kvitová, so near the primary massive win of her return. But Wozniacki was not fairly prepared for her second. On her second match level, Wozniacki appeared extremely nervous as she netted a poor backhand return and Kvitová rapidly slammed the door shut on her service sport.
For many different gamers, such a missed alternative may have proved deadly. But the previous No 1 has constructed a superb profession by way of her supreme psychological power, and he or she demonstrated that on Arthur Ashe Stadium as soon as once more. Wozniacki shrugged off her disappointment, supplied few errors, and remained laser-focused on her aim as she clinched an unlimited win by edging past Kvitová 7-5, 7-6 (5) to achieve the third round of the US Open.
“It feels amazing to beat such an amazing player and champion like Petra,” Wozniacki mentioned. “Obviously I knew coming into the match that I had a chance to win, and I believe in myself. At the same time she obviously has had a great year. She’s 11 in the world, loves to play on hard courts.
“I knew it was going to be a very tough one and I had to play my best tennis. I’m just so thrilled to have an opportunity to play out on Arthur Ashe Stadium. What an honour that is, play a night session in front of this amazing crowd.”
Her win over Kvitová, the eleventh seed, additionally marks the primary time that Wozniacki has received consecutive matches since she performed her first match again from retirement in Montreal earlier this month. She received her opening match there towards Kimberly Birrell of Australia earlier than shedding to Marketa Vondrousova, after which carried out poorly on the Cinncinnati Open the place she was brushed apart by Varvara Gracheva. She arrived in New York determined to seek out her ft once more.
While Wozniacki clinched her long-awaited grand slam title on the Australian Open, New York has at all times been her place. It was the positioning of the Dane’s first grand slam last in 2009, her second in 2014 and of a rousing run to the semi-finals in 2016 whereas ranked No 74 after a yr ravaged by accidents and poor kind. It was additionally town the place she efficiently ran her first marathon in 2014 after that last and a gruelling 11-month season. If there was anywhere that was prone to kickstart her comeback, it could be in New York.
“I’ve been feeling very comfortable here in New York in general,” she mentioned. “Ever since I arrived here, it’s just something about the courts, everything else, that have made me feel good.”
In a match of nice nostalgia between two of the defining champions of the earlier technology, each 33 years previous, Wozniacki produced a classic, workmanlike efficiency. She was extraordinarily constant and gave little away, providing simply 13 unforced errors and defending with immaculate depth, notably off her backhand wing. She served more and more effectively because the match endured, at all times an asset on the peak of her powers, profitable 83% of first serve factors within the second set.
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“It’s always tough to play Caro, even she didn’t play for a few years. Didn’t feel that she was away,” mentioned Kvitová, who like many gamers in New York was underneath the climate as she took to the court docket.
In the decisive moments, Wozniacki dared Kvitová to persistently hit by way of her defence. There have been many instances of their 14-year rivalry when Kvitová, conversely one of the nice attacking gamers of their period, has been capable of overpower Wozniacki, however this time she couldn’t. As a lacklustre Kvitová’s unforced errors piled up, Wozniacki’s ice neutralised her hearth.
“Three years ago if you’d asked me, I didn’t think I was ever going to play on one of those courts again in the US Open, especially a night session,” Wozniacki mentioned. “It just feels pretty incredible to be out there and winning a match like that.”
In the third round, Wozniacki will face one other participant on the comeback path in Jennifer Brady of the US. Brady reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 2020 and the ultimate of the 2021 Australian Open earlier than a quantity of accidents pressured her out of motion for 2 years till this summer season. On Thursday night, Brady additionally received consecutive matches for the primary time at WTA stage in her return, defeating twenty fourth seed Magda Linette 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 to advance to a third round match that can virtually actually take centre stage once more.
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