One star shines, another fades
Serena Williams stormed into the ASB Classic singles final in Auckland but Caroline Wozniacki bowed out on a dramatic day. David Long reports.
Caroline Wozniacki will retire without ever winning the ASB Classic, but Serena Williams was at her ruthless best during yesterday’s two semifinals.
Wozniacki lost 3-6 6-4 6-0 to American Jessica Pegula in a match that lasted nearly two hours.
But in the second semifinal Williams destroyed Amanda Anisimova 6-1 6-1 in just 43 minutes.
It was the Dane’s seventh attempt to win the title in Auckland and she had twice been a finalist.
But she will bow out after the Australian Open in a couple of weeks with the Classic remaining one of her favourite tournaments, but also one of the most frustrating ones.
Pegula, whose billionaire father Terry Pegula owns the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, is ranked just 82 in the world and hadn’t played a seeded player this week until going up against Wozniacki.
Yet, she played a level of tennis that Wozniacki couldn’t cope with and was the deserved winner.
It would have been a fitting way for Wozniacki to bow out in Auckland by at last lifting the trophy and while she won’t get that opportunity to do so in singles, she is in today’s doubles final with her good friend Williams.
‘‘I did everything I could out there today. I thought I played pretty well, the first set I think we both played well,’’ Wozniacki said afterwards.
‘‘In the second set I think I had my chances at 3-3 and if I’d got it to 4-3, broken her there, hold my serve, maybe it could have been a different match.
‘‘But in the third set she really stepped up, stepped into the court, I played a little too short, ran out of gas a bit and she really took advantage of that and played really well.’’
Wozniacki will no doubt reflect on the Classic with mixed emotions. She enjoys being at the tournament and likes the atmosphere at it, but it’s been frustrating for her that the title has been so elusive.
‘‘I really enjoy said.
‘‘There are a lot of positives I can bring with me and we still have the doubles, so that gives me another chance to get a title here.
‘‘I’ll do my best and I know Serena will too.’’
The chance of a dream final was gone when Wozniacki lost, but Williams still kept up her end of the bargain, blowing Anisimova off the court in a similar fashion to what she’s done so
‘‘It [winning the final] would mean a lot to me.’’ Serena Williams
it here,’’ she many times to young players over her illustrious career.
Any doubts about Williams being rusty ahead of the Australian Open should be banished now. The 38-year-old had steadily improved during her week in Auckland, but in this match the rise was monumental.
After the match, Williams joked about being able to play at this level at times but then not doing so in finals.
‘‘I’ve been in the zone a few times, I played well in New York, just not in the final!,’’ she laughed.
‘‘Again at Wimbledon, just not in the final.
‘‘So I’m getting there, it’s just putting it together for the whole tournament.’’
Williams famously consoled Anisimova after she lost a match in Miami last year and it’s clear that she admires and thinks fondly of the young American.
‘‘I really like her, I just don’t know why,’’ Williams said.
‘‘I just think she’s such a sweet person and I like her game, I like her mum and I know what she’s been through.
‘‘She’s someone I’ve looked up to and also being an American and being the future of American tennis and having a great attitude, it’s good to see.’’
Williams last won a tournament at the US Open in 2017. While the level of the Classic doesn’t compare to that of a grand slam, it would still be an achievement for her to win her 73rd title in Auckland today.
‘‘It would mean a lot to me,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve been working hard for the past couple of years and putting everything together. So we’ll just keep it going.’’
Meanwhile, in the doubles semifinal yesterday, Coco Gauff and Caty McNally lost to another all-American pair, Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend, 6-1 7-5.