Wozniacki fights back for victory

Caroline Wozniacki
12 April 2012

Caroline Wozniacki produced a performance worthy of a world number one to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7 (6/8) 7-5 6-1 in a three-hour epic under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium and reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.

Wozniacki lost a first set she should have won but then fought back brilliantly from 4-1 down in the second set to move through to a last-eight clash with 10th seed Andrea Petkovic.

The Dane has received a lot of flak for her grand slam performances since becoming world number one almost a year ago but this might just prove to be a watershed moment.

But Kuznetsova is a supremely talented player, who arguably should have won more grand slam titles than just the US Open in 2004 and the French Open five years later.

Wozniacki looked fired up and, helped by two serves below 65mph from her opponent, raced into a 5-2 lead. But back roared Kuznetsova, raising her game just at the right moment to win four points in a row.

Although she missed the first set point, Wozniacki threw in a very untimely double fault and on the second Kuznetsova took it when the top seed missed a forehand.

The Russian, a superb mover, generates more power on her groundstrokes than Wozniacki and she broke immediately at the start of the second set. But one thing the 21-year-old does not lack is fighting spirit and Kuznetsova, a point from a 5-2 lead at one stage, was instead pegged back to 4-3.

That blow affected the 15th seed badly and Wozniacki made it four games in a row to move to the brink of taking the set, even bringing up a set point, but, in this tightest of battles, it seemed inevitable Kuznetsova would respond.

She did, breaking to level things again at 5-5, but the world number one gave herself a second chance. The quality continued to ratchet up, Kuznetsova saving a second set point with a stunning backhand winner, but on the third her resistance was broken.

In the manner of what had gone before, it was not a quick ending, the top seed needing five match points to clinch victory, which she eventually did after three hours and two minutes.

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