Wozniacki reaches quarter-finals in Paris
PARIS: Caroline Wozniacki reached the French Open quarter-finals for the first time in seven years yesterday with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Danish 11th seed Wozniacki, who made her only other last-eight appearance in Paris in 2010, faces either Australia’s Samantha Stosur or Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia for a semi-final place.
“Svetlana’s a great player, especially on clay so I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” said the 26-year-old after her eighth win in 14 meetings against the Russian.
Wozniacki played her typically safe style for much of the match, winding up with 15 fewer unforced errors than No.8 Kuznetsova. Wozniacki also broke in half of Kuznetsova’s 12 service games.
Wozniacki missed the 2016 French Open because of an ankle injury. She lost in the first or second round each of the previous three years.
Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova advanced to the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Carina Witthoeft yesterday.
Pliskova, who had won just twice in five previous French Open appearances before this year, will face Paraguay’s Veronica epede Royg for a quarter-final spot.
Pliskova can replace Angelique Kerber as world No.1 by reaching the final in Paris.
Croatian qualifier Petra Martic upset 17th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-1 to reach the last 16.
Martic is ranked 290th but she took just 49 minutes to beat the Latvian and match her best performance at a Grand Slam tournament.
The 26-year-old Martic next faces fifth seed Elina Svitolina after the Ukrainian beat Magda Linette 6-4, 7-5.
In men’s event, Kei Nishikori outlasted rising South Korean Chung Hyeon in five sets yesterday to advance to the fourth round for the third straight year.
In a match that started on Saturday before being suspended by rain, eighth seed and world No.9 Nishikori downed the 67th-ranked Chung 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 0-6, 6-4.
His next opponent will be Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco. Nishikori is 3-2 in his career against the 33-year-old Spaniard, but hasn’t lost to him since 2012.
MURRAY DOWNS DEL POTRO
Andy Murray downed longtime rival Juan Martin Del Potro to reach the last 16 on Saturday.
World No.1 Murray triumphed 7-6 (10/8), 7-5, 6-0 for his seventh win in 10 meetings with Del Potro whose challenge fizzled out after squandering four set points in the 87-minute opener.
Murray, the runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2016, will next face Russia’s Karen Khachanov who upset 21st seed John Isner — the last US man in the draw of 11 — 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-7 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3) yesterday.
Third seed Stan Wawrinka saved four set points in the opener before running away with 16 of the last 19 games to beat Italy’s Fabio Fognini 7-6 (7/2), 6-0, 6-2.