Wozniacki survives early scare to advance in Sydney
Dane begins season with win over Goerges but Jankovic crashes out to Makarova
Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki opened her season with a win over German Julia Goerges in the first round of the Sydney International yesterday.
Danish sixth seed Wozniacki, who became engaged to golf star Rory McIlroy on New Year’s Eve, lost the first set to Goerges but rallied to come through 3- 6, 6- 2, 6- 4.
The 23- year- old, who withdrew from a WTA event in Brisbane last weekend due to a shoulder injury, was making her sixth straight appearance at the Sydney tournament as she prepares for the Australian Open.
But fourth- seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic’s preparations for Melbourne hit a hurdle yesterday when she was beaten by world number 23 Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets, 6- 4, 6- 2.
Jankovic, who is ranked eighth in the world, was 3- 1 down in the second set and was never back in the game as Makarova held her nerve to serve out for the match, winning with an ace.
“I tried to be aggressive and not let her attack, because she’s really good playing down the line from the backhand,” Makarova said. “So I tried to let her move her to the backhand, not to stand and hit it. I was moving quite good [ too] ... today was a good match.”
Earlier, United
States quali- fier Bethanie Mattek- Sands beat Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard 6- 4, 6- 3, while Czech Lucie Safarova bundled out Italian Francesca Schiavone 6- 4, 6- 4.
Tough match
Mattek- Sands will now face defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska who, fresh from the final of the Hopman Cup in Perth, said she was expecting a tough match.
“I think Bethanie is playing well. I definitely have to play good tennis,” she said.
Radwanska, the top- seed at the Sydney International and world No. 5, played a thrilling final for Poland at the Hopman Cup with Grzegorz Panfil on Saturday, but lost to France’s Jo- Wilfried Tsonga and Alize Cornet.