TENNIS US OPEN – Caroline Wozniacki has reached the last eight of the US Open by defeating French Open champion Maria Sharapova in a thrilling, nail biting match, 6-4 2-6 6-2.
In probably one of the highest quality matches of the season, the Dane started very fast off the blocks winning the first three games, but the Siberian replied with her usual fighting spirit to level the score.
Wozniacki found another deciding break to take the set, but it seemed to cost her in the opening of the second set, when Sharapova came out full force.
The fifth seed flew to a comfortable 4-0 lead, thanks to all her skills and power, which later allowed her to take the set.
In the third set, after a 10 minute break due to heat, Sharapova started to suffer the pressure posed by the amazing defence of the Dane, who was the first to find the break and eventually closed it with a second one.
Wozniacki came into the match trailing in the head to head seven losses to two wins, but she knew she had one their only meeting in a slam and it was on these courts in 2010.
Back then the Dane was world number one, while Sharapova was coming back from her famous shoulder injury. This week, the Dane is well out of the top 10, while Sharapova won her fifth slam in Paris, but, following the break up with her long term fiancé Rory McIlroy, Wozniacki has showed great improvements.
The great physical condition and confidence in her game led the 10th seed to a brave start, in which she forced both her forehand and backhand to move the Russian around the court.
She easily found a 3-0 lead, but then the backfire of Sharapova started to pay off, including a brave fight to save three consecutive break points on 3-2.
Both players hold their serve with ease for the next couple games, until Sharapova crumbled under the pressure of serving to stay in the set on 5-4.
The moment of confusion for the Russian did not last long though, she started the second set with a renewed focus and she immediately took advantage of a slightly more passive Wozniacki, who seemed to be unable to find a steady reaction to the suddenly harder hitting of her opponent.
In a very tight opening game, Sharapova found an immediate break to lead the score, to which she added three more games of absolute domination.
Wozniacki stopped the winning streak of her opponent thanks to a very smart and powerful serving in the fifth game, which seemed to give her back the lost confidence.
The last couple of games of the second set were of incredibly high quality, as both players battled for every ball with all their power despite the massive heat that was weighing down on New York City.
Sharapova came up on top of this set, but it was clear that the Dane was ready to go out and fight her soul for every point in the decider.
The heat rule was then applied giving both players 10 minutes of rest before the third set and it was clear that the break beneficed Wozniacki the most, as she came out ready to chase every ball her opponent was hitting, no matter how hard.
The 10th seed found an important hold in the first game, to which Sharapova replied with another one.
Then Wozniacki hit on the throttle and after another solid hold, she found an amazing break with one of the most outstanding showing of athleticism, which left the Russian speechless, as she thought the point was closed twice at least before she missed the last volley to handle the break.
The Dane found in the break lead all the confidence to rely on her serve, which gave her lots of free points until the very end of the match. She did not need it close the set, as she broke once more Sharapova’s serve with one last outstanding backhand down the line.
The former world number one will play Italian Sara Errani in the quarter finals.
