Wozniacki makes strong start at Wuhan
wuhan — Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki made a strong start at the WTA Wuhan Open as the tournament was hit by a wave of retirements on Monday.
Wozniacki — fresh from a title victory at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Sunday — took two sets to secure her place in the second round, as double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Briton Johanna Konta also made convincing starts.
Four players quit mid-match, taking the tally to six in just two days at the Chinese tournament, which is also missing injured world number two Serena Williams.
Wozniacki was sidelined by injury for nearly three months earlier this year but has made a strong late-season comeback, reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and bagging her first crown of the season in Tokyo.
The 26-year-old Dane flew straight to Wuhan after Sunday’s final where she dispatched Australian Samantha Stosur in two sets, winning 6-3, 6-2 on an ace.
“I’m on a roll, so hopefully I can keep pushing myself and play well,” she told reporters after the match.
Kvitova served six aces — mirrored by her teenage opponent’s six double faults — to sweep to a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
“The beginning of the match was just terrible. Afterwards, I was just more relaxed and more confident,” the Czech player told reporters.
“I think the key was kind of attacking her second serve,” she added. Meanwhile, Konta eased past German Annika Beck 6-1, 6-2 to get her campaign off to a flying start.
“She fought all the way through and we had a lot of close games so I don’t think the scoreline quite reflects the level of the match,” Konta said after the match.
The Australian Open semi-finalist will meet Zhang Shuai of China, who beat compatriot Peng Shuai in three tightly fought sets 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4. The pair last met in Melbourne, where Konta halted qualifier Zhang’s fairy-tale run in the quarterfinals. “We had a great match at the Australian Open and I haven’t played her since so I think it will be a great battle,” Konta said.
But Britain’s Heather Watson, Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova all joined the injury list as they retired from their first-round matches.
Meanwhile, Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania bowed out in the second set of her secondround meet with world number five Simona Halep. The late-season tournament, which comes just two weeks after the year’s final Grand Slam, the US Open, also saw five retirements last year — including in the final. —