Wozniacki Outlasts Sharapova in Singapore

October 21, 2014 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Caroline_Wozniacki (13)_2
Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

Caroline Wozniacki beat Maria Sharapova 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-2 in the WTA Finals on Tuesday. It is the second straight time that Wozniacki has beaten the Russian, as she did so in the fourth-round of the U.S. Open in August.

“I’m feeling a little tired, but it was a great match and great to make a winning start,” said Wozniacki. “It’s always tough to play your first match and get into a rhythm on a new court. I’m just so happy to win and the crowd was so unbelievable out there.”

Wozniacki was helped out by mistakes from Sharapova. The second-ranked Russian hit 15 double-faults and had 76 unforced errors. In comparison, Wozniacki committed just 35 unforced errors.

Sharapova had a chance to serve for the first set, up 4-2 in the tie-breaker, but squandered that opportunity with two of those 15 double-faults. Wozniacki than rattled off the next five points to steal the set away from Sharapova.

In the second set, Wozniacki failed to capitalize on a break advantage. Sharapova would force the match into a deciding third-set after edging out the second frame in a tie-breaker.

The third set belonged to Wozniacki as she picked up key break points, while Sharapova’s serve continued to struggle. Overall, the Dane earned seven break points, taking advantage of all those double-faults from Sharapova.

“Everyone wants to be here. At the start of the year it’s our goal,” said Wozniacki. “In the middle of the year, it didn’t look like I had a chance, but I had an amazing summer, reached the U.S. Open, and now I’m back. It feels great!”

The U.S. Open runner-up now sits atop the White Group in Singapore. The other match from that group that was to get underway shortly as Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic takes on Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

January/February 2024 Digital Edition