Great Dane finds groove in winning style

DEFENDING champion Caroline Wozniacki clawed her way into the Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals yesterday, narrowly avoiding the fate fourth seed Johanna Konta earlier suffered in Tokyo.

Former world number one Wozniacki recovered from a break down in the final set to beat American Shelby Rogers 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 after finding her mojo just in time.

The third seed, a two-time Pan Pacific winner chasing her 26th career title, stormed through the second set to level the match with an ace before allowing Rogers to open a 3-0 lead in the decider.

But Wozniacki came roaring back, punching a backhand deep into the corner to turn the tide and spark a purple patch of form where the Dane suddenly began smashing winners from all angles.

Rogers had no answer to Wozniacki’s unerring accuracy thereafter, and the world number six finished her off with a looping forehand which the American could only dump into the net.

Wozniacki will face Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in the last eight after the fifth seed thrashed Czech Katerina Siniakova 62, 6-2 in just 68 minutes.

Konta was upset 7-5, 7-6 by Czech Barbora Strycova to become the first major casualty in Tokyo.

Britain’s world number seven committed 43 unforced errors and squandered a 4-2 lead in the first set against Strycova, who came into the match 18 places below Konta in the WTA rankings.

Elsewhere, ninth seed Caroline Garcia safely advanced, the Frenchwoman thrashing Japan’s Kurumi Nara 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal with top seed Garbine Muguruza. — AFP