Still a few bugs in her system
Former No. 1 player is full of complaints during second-round loss at Wimbledon.
Caroline Wozniacki loses in second round at Wimbledon and says foe was lucky.
LONDON — Caroline Wozniacki complained about the flying insects at Wimbledon, demanding that bug spray be brought to the court. She wondered aloud whether play should be halted because of a brief drizzle.
And the No. 2-seeded Wozniacki was not exactly gracious in defeat after staving off five match points, but not the sixth, in what became a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 loss to 35th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in the second round at the All England Club on Wednesday.
The reigning Australian Open champion’s latest lackluster showing at Wimbledon made her the fifth topeight seeded woman to exit by the end of Day 3.
Wozniacki said Makarova “got a little lucky” and added, “I would be very surprised if you saw her go far.”
Asked what she thought of those remarks, Makarova laughed and replied: “Well, I don’t know what to say. Yeah, maybe I was lucky today. Good for me. Thanks, God.”
Though both Williams sisters moved into the third round, as did past U.S. Open runners-up Madison Keys and Karolina Pliskova, among the women, and Roger Federer won 35 consecutive points on his serve while extending his Wimbledon set streak to 26 in a row, it was Wozniacki’s departure that counted as the closest thing to big news Wednesday.
She is a former No. 1 who recently claimed her first Grand Slam title. She won a grass-court tuneup tournament last weekend.
She had managed to convince herself this was going to be her year to shine at the All England Club, the only major where she has never been past the fourth round. In addition to her title on the hard courts in Australia, she has twice been the runnerup on that surface at the U.S. Open, and she has been a quarterfinalist twice on the French Open’s red clay.
But a game that is predicated on defense can be harder to make work on the speedy grass, where Makarova produced twice as many winners 46-23.
“It’s frustrating,” Wozniacki said, “because I feel like I could have gone and done something really great here.”
Instead, it’s the fourth time in the last seven years that she’s out in the first or second round.
Earlier in the match, Wozniacki was buggin’ out about the bugs that also showed up last year at the tournament. She insisted that something needed to be done about them.
Makarova too called the scene “a little bit strange and different” and “a little bit uncomfortable.”
That word also described how Makarova’s left-handed game made Wozniacki feel.
“I had a chance today. I fought all I had. I’m out. That’s it,” said Wozniacki, who actually won more total points 94-91. “It’s life sometimes. You just have to keep working and come back. And hopefully next time, luck will be on my side.”
Federer moved into the third round as he chases his record-extending ninth championship, using close-to-impeccable serving to beat 73rd-ranked Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.
The 36-year-old Federer compiled 48 winners and 11 unforced errors. He won 40 of 43 first-serve points, never faced a break chance, and delivered 16 aces.
“Sometimes your serve matches up better against certain players,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that.”
Five-time champion Venus Williams dropped the opening set but dominated the rest of the way, beating 141st-ranked qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 4-6, 6-0, 6-1. At 38, Williams is the oldest woman in the field, but she is now into the third round a year after getting to the final.
“I mean, it’s just about winning the match. And so, if that’s your best or not, your best doesn’t matter,” Williams said, “as long as you win.”