Wozniacki dominates and advances to quarterfinals
MELBOURNE, Australia — Caroline Wozniacki is continuing to cash in on her second chance at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals here for the first time since 2012 with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Magdalena Rybarikova on Sunday.
After her close call in the second round — she had to save two match points and come back from 5-1 down in the third set — No. 2-ranked Wozniacki said she was “playing with house money.”
She has won both matches since in straight sets and will next play Carla Suarez Navarro, who came back from a set and 4-1 down to beat No. 32 Anett Kontaveit 4-6, 6-4, 8-6.
After a tight tussle in the opening four games against No. 19-seeded Rybarikova, a Wimbledon semifinalist last year, Wozniacki dominated the fourth-round match and conceded six points in the second set.
Wozniacki could return to the top ranking if she reaches the semifinals and a combination of other results go her way.
She has never won a Grand Slam singles title but lost the U.S. Open final twice — to Kim Clijsters in 2009 and to Serena Williams in 2014.
Suarez Navarro has reached the quarterfinals at a major five times, but is yet to make the semifinals.
She has won two of their seven career head-to-heads, which date back to a match on a lower-tier tour in 2006.
“Well, we play a lot of times,” Suarez Navarro said. “I know how she plays. I know how tough she is. She’s fighting every ball, but at the same time she can play aggressive. She has a lot of experience on these rounds.”
Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champ, routed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 in a third-round win that showcased her credentials as a title contender and ensured she’ll be the only Grand Slam champion playing in the second week in the women’s draw.
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were almost as ruthless in straight-set wins Saturday night, which is hardly surprising for two players with a combined 31 Grand Slam titles. As well, it was Federer’s 90th match win at Melbourne Park.
Women’s No. 1 Simona Halep took a longer route — equaling a mark in Melbourne for endurance but signaling, perhaps, that she’s closer to a Grand Slam breakthrough.
The Kerber-Sharapova match, billed as the showdown of the round, was over quickly. That was in contrast to Halep’s 4-6, 6-4, 15-13 win in 3 hours and 45 minutes over American Lauren Davis.
The third set took 2:22. Halep wasted chances to serve for the match in the ninth, 11th and 15th games, then had to save three match points in the 22nd. There were 11 service breaks and two medical timeouts — for Davis to get treatment on both feet — before Halep converted on her first match point.
“I never played the third set so long, so I’m really happy I could stay and win it. I’m almost dead,” Halep said of the match which equaled Chanda Rubin’s win over Arantxa Shanchez Vicario in 1996 — also 48 games — for the Australian Open record in terms of most games.
“I just feel that my muscles are gone,” said Halep, who badly twisted her left ankle in the first round. “My ankle is ... I don’t know how it is because I don’t feel it anymore!”
Halep will next play Naomi Osaka, who beat 18th-seeded Ash Barty 6-4, 6-2. No. 20 Barbora Strycova beat U.S. qualifier Bernarda Pera 6-2, 6-2, leaving U.S. Open finalist Madison Keys as the only American woman to reach the fourth round.
Keys won 6-3, 6-4 over Ana Bogdan and will play No. 8 Caroline Garcia.
Kerber’s next match is against Hsieh Su-Wei, who followed up her win over Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza with a 6-2, 7-5 win against No. 26 Agnieszka Radwanska to return to the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the first time in a decade.
Six-time Australian Open champion Djokovic continued his comeback from six months out with an injured right elbow, beating No. 21 Albert RamosVinolas 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
Tomas Berdych beat 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets, and fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem beat Adrian Mannarino.
Djokovic will next face Hyeon Chung, who took out a Zverev for the second time in a week. Chung beat fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev 5-7, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 six days after a win over No. 32 Mischa Zverev.