TAG | Caroline Wozniacki
It is the first time in five years, Kim Clijsters, the Australian tennis Open winner is two matches away from returning to the number one ranking. Of the Paris-Coubertin tournament this week, the Belgian needs to make the semi-finals to overtake Denmark’s incumbent Caroline Wozniacki. A tournament she won in her only other attempt in 2004.
In 2003, Clijsters held the top ranking and in 2006, she had it for seven weeks before her retirement and subsequent return to the game two years later. She now has four grand slam titles. She said that if she manages to do it again during her second career, it would be great. She added that if she could not make it, then she would not be disappointed.
Clijsters first became No. 1 in August 2003 and it would always mean more to her. She was 20 years old then. In January 2006, the Belgian last held the top spot. before her premature retirement four years ago, she was at No. 1 for 19 weeks. Out of those 19 weeks, 12 came before her first major victory at the 2005 U.S. Open.
After the world No. 78 beat Iveta Benesova in her opening match, she will be facing Germany’s Kristina Barrois.
Meanwhile, Vera Zvonareva made a winning start to her campaign at the WTA Tour’s Pattaya Open in Thailand. She had lost the No. 2 ranking after her semifinal defeat by Clijsters in Melbourne.
To set up a second-round clash with Thai qualifier Nungnadda Wannasuk, the top-seeded Russian, Wozniacki beat Austria’s Tamira Paszek 6-4 6-2. Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, in her first match since her early exit at the Australian Open beat Thai wildcard entry Nudnida Luangnam 6-0 6-2 and the second-seeded Serbian will next play veteran American Jill Craybas.
Australian tennis Open · Caroline Wozniacki · Kim Clijsters · U.S. Open
At the WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar, Caroline Wozniacki won a match today by defeating Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 but she also won something much more important. She clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for 2010, with the victory.
For the 20-year old from Denmark, it’s been a long and successful year. To end the season on the top of the rankings, Wozniacki becomes the 10th different woman. To achieve Wozniacki her goal, injuries to Serena and Venus Williams helped, but as Wozniacki’s rivals and they will tell you, she deserved it.
Wozniacki, with the win will now play in the semi-finals in Doha against either Kim Clijsters or Samantha Stosur. The other semi-finalist is the Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
In Thursday’s session, Belgium’s Clijsters beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-, while Stosur, who was on a two match winning streak, lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to a tough Elena Dementieva of Russia.
Wozniacki admitted that on Thursday, she wasn’t in top form but she had enough to beat Schiavone, the 2010 French Open Champion. Wozniacki said, “I just hung in there and kept my focus and tried to get a little more aggressive and not let her dictate the game and that helped me through.”
Clijsters was pleased with her play on Thursday and many think is the favorite in Doha, but she expects to improve. Clijsters said, “It was a good match and obviously disappointing to lose that second set. It was close”.
Caroline Wozniacki · Elena Dementieva · Venus Williams · WTA
June 28, on Monday, the second week of the 2010 Wimbledon officially began after the traditional day off on the previous day. All eyes were focused on the main courts; Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2, at this point of the tournament. Day 7 featured some upsets as well as routine victories.
When Yen-Hsun Lu defeated last year’s finalist Andy Roddick in an intense five set fourth round match, it was the major headline of the day. Lu won the second and third sets in tiebreaks, after losing the first set 6-4. He failed to close out the match in a fourth set tiebreak. Finally, Lu prevailed in the fifth set, winning it 9-7. At any grand slam event, Yen-Hsun Lu, who is from Chinese Taipei, has never been past the third round. Roddick played a good match, but perhaps some of the pressure to repeat his last year’s performance played a role in this relatively early loss.
From 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, Novak Djokovic faced stiff competition. However, Hewitt’s counter-punching game was overpowered by Djokovic, 7-5 6-4 3-6 6-4. Meanwhile, in straight sets without any trouble, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray all won their fourth round matches.
There were two upsets on the women’s side as Caroline Wozniacki and 2007 finalist Mario Bartoli were both eliminated. Another interesting match was the all-Belgian fourth round affair between Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Clijsters prevailed 2-6 6-2 6-3, and denied Henin the chance to win the only Grand Slam that’s missing from her resume. In straight sets, the Williams sisters both won their fourth round matches, as Serena took out Maria Sharapova and Venus defeated Jarmila Groth.
