Comeback stars set-up last-eight duel
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI, derailed this year by an ankle injury which sent her career into a tailspin, and Anastasija Sevastova, who quit the sport three years ago, set up a US Open quarterfinal duel yesterday.
Former world No. 1 Wozniacki, the runner-up in 2009 and 2014, downed American eighth seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-4 to make the last-eight in New York for a fifth time.
Sevastova became the first Latvian woman in 22 years to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal when she beat British 13th seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-5.
The other quarterfinal in the bottom half of the draw sees German second seed Angelique Kerber face Roberta Vinci, the Italian seventh seed.
Kerber defeated Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-5 while Vinci enjoyed a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win over Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
Now ranked at 74 in the world after a right ankle injury sidelined her for almost three months, Wozniacki hit just seven unforced errors in her win over Keys.
“After such a tough year, it’s amazing to be in the quarterfinals,” said the 26year-old whose Grand Slam record this year had seen first round losses in Australia and Wimbledon while she sat out Roland Garros.
Sevastova, the 26-year-old world No. 48, had not won a match in New York since 2010 before this year and with her career unravelling she quit in May 2013 to study in Austria.
She returned to the sport in January 2015 and that decision has been fully vindicated by her stunning run.
“I had a lot of injuries. I was depressed and it just wasn’t fun anymore, but now I’m back,” said Sevastova. – AFP