SENSATIONAL IN CENTURION OR POOR IN PRETORIA?
LONDON: Caroline Wozniacki admitted she was at a loss to explain how she managed to stay in the tournament after a stunning 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Jana Fett.
The second seed was expected to brush aside the challenge of the world No. 119. But 5-1 down in the third and final set Wozniacki faced two match points. The Dane decided she had to attack, saved the match points and rallied to a memorable victory.
And afterwards, she said she was in total shock.
“That was crazy, I don’t know how I got back into the match,” a very relieved Wozniacki said.
“I’m very proud of the way I came back. It was definitely very difficult. Definitely wasn’t my best match, especially in the beginning.
“All of a sudden seeing myself down, almost out of the tournament, I started playing better and started playing the tennis that I wanted to play.”
The Dane is yet to break her Grand Slam duck, having been as high as No. 1 in the rankings. However, last year saw a welcome return to form and with her half of the draw already witnessing some shock early exits, this could be Wozniacki’s year.
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“The moment for me, I think, was the captain’s wicket,” said Lungi Ngidi after stunning match figures of seven for 90 had won him the Man of the Match award. “That was a very special moment. I felt that I had worked hard and sort of figured out a game plan of bowling toward (Virat Kohli). So finally getting that really did mean a lot to me.” That wicket came on the fourth evening, and Ngidi backed it up on the final morning with the scalps of Hardik Pandya, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. Only six South
Africans have had better figures than his six for 39 on their debut Test.
About 10 months ago, Pujara batted 672 minutes and 525 balls for 202 to guide India out of a tricky situation in a Test match against Australia in Ranchi. The team needed similar sort of application from him at Centurion, resuming at 35 for three and needing a further 252 to square the series. Instead, Pujara decided to take on AB de Villiers’ throwing arm 20 minutes into the day’s play. The result was predictable, with Pujara — “slower than a church mouse” to quote the great Michael Holding — short of the crease. With just 49 from four innings, Pujara may just have run himself out of the side.
The world No. 1 beat Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer in straight sets on the Rod Laver Arena, and then claimed the manner of the victory proved he was getting back to the form he needs to be in to win a second Australian Open title.
“It was an important victory for me, he’s a tough opponent,” Nadal said after the 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 win, secured in two hours 38 minutes.
“Leonardo is a player with big potential, he hits the ball so strong and you could see in the last couple of games how tough was he.
“I had to hit some great shots in the tiebreak, he’s a very dangerous opponent.
“I am happy to be in the third round after being out of competition for a while, a second victory in a row is very important to me.”
Nadal now faces plays Bosnian 28th seed Damir Dzumhur in the next round on and 13th seed and reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens all made early exits, meaning the bottom half of the draw is now wide open.
“She really took her shots, she had nothing to lose,” Wozniacki said of Fett’s performance.
But when in sight of by far the biggest win of her career, the world No. 119’s nerves got the better of her as Wozniacki reeled off 10 points in a row to spark a winning run of six unanswered games.
“Experience was crucial,” the 27-year-old said. “I think she suddenly realized at 5-1 what was happening and I just had to attack and take advantage of it.” Friday, when temperatures are forecast to hit 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), with the Spaniard urging organizers to shut the roof on the stadium.
“The only thing that I hope, if it is extreme conditions, I hope the organizers shut the roof. I think is a health issue,” he said.
“Even I like sometimes to play when it’s hot. When it’s too much, it becomes dangerous for the health.”
As if the torrid temperatures were not enough to worry about, Nadal also revealed he was not taking victory against Dzumhur for granted.
“He’s a tricky one. The only way to win is play in a higher rhythm than him and try to play aggressive, try to put the highest intensity possible out there. That’s what I am going to try.”
Mayer played well and stuck to his guns, hitting 48 winners offset by 33 unforced errors and breaking serve for the only time in the match as Nadal was serving out to win, forcing the third set into a tiebreak.
“He played a great game, all the returns in, very long, playing so aggressive, hitting all the balls super strong, and having success,” Nadal said of Mayer.
The win took the 31-year-old Spaniard’s Australian Open record to 53-11 as he chases his second Australian title after beating Roger Federer in the 2009 final.
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