The curse of this year’s ASB Classic have claimed another victim after third seed Caroline Wozniacki crashed out 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, to Germany’s Julia Goerges.
Wozniacki was the highest seed left on the draw following the exit of the Williams sisters on Wednesday. Top seed Serena crashed out in three sets to Madison Brengle in what was a error-stricken performance and Venus withdrew due to an arm injury.
Facing Georges, it seemed like the former world No. 1 was on course for a straight sets win after she won nine out of the first ten games of the match to lead 6-1, 3-0. Wozniacki’s game began to unravel when her German opponent started to find her rhythm on the court with the help of some breathtaking forehand winners.
Fabulous forehand from @JuliaGoerges! #ASBClassic pic.twitter.com/nNq8YVrpxk
— WTA (@WTA) 5 January 2017
The unlikely surge saw the world No. 53 break the Dane three consecutive times to force the match into a decider. A familiar pattern occurred in the third set with Georges breaking two further times before sealing the comeback win with an ace.
“I would say that was the biggest comeback I’ve had,” Goerges said.
“Especially against a player like Caroline, because she’s very consistent and likes to run away from you.
“To come back from that score, I don’t think I’ve ever done it.”
Struggling to find an explanation for her shock loss from such a strong starting point, Wozniacki believes the change in conditions during the match benefitted Georges’ game. The latest defeat was the fifth time Wozniacki has lost to the German and her first since their encounter in the second round of the 2015 French Open.
“It got cooler and the conditions got faster at one point and she started hitting everything and it was going in. All I could do was fight and try to do my best.“ Said Wozniacki.
“I tried to make it close in the end, but it wasn’t enough, the only game where I could have changed something was at 3-0 (in the second set) for me when I was serving and I made a double fault and then maybe a backhand unforced error.
“But really, that shouldn’t change the outcome of the match.”
Georges, who hasn’t won a WTA title since 2011, will play Croatia’s Ana Konjuh in the semifinals. Konjuh reached the last four after Naomi Osaka retired with a wrist injury during the early stages of their match.
Jelena Ostapenko remains the highest seed left in the draw after downing Williams’ conqueror Brengle 7-5, 6-3. The Latvian dropped her first two service games of the match before fighting her way past the American in just under 90 minutes. Ostapenko will play Lauren Davis next, who stunned fourth seed Barbora Strycova 6-1, 7-6(4).
