By N.D. Prashant /Doha
Showing tremendous grit and determination, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled through cramps to win an absorbing three-setter against Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the Sony Ericsson Championships yesterday.
Wozniacki won the white group match 6-0, 6-7 (7-3), 6-4 after two hours and 48 minutes to virtually assure herself of a semifinal berth. She will play against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic today.
In the second match yesterday, new world number one Serena Williams cruised into the last four with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Elena Dementieva who had beaten Venus Williams earlier in the tournament.
The World No 4 Wozniacki, who had a hard fought victory against her friend Victoria Azarenka on Wednesday, was nursing a left hamstring injury before coming into the tournament. The same injury had drawn the teenager into a match-fixing controversy after she pulled out of the Luxemburg Open earlier this month. Wozniacki, then, was leading Luxemburg’s Anne Kremer 7-5, 5-0 when she called it quits in similar circumstances.Despite playing with a heavily strapped left thigh Wozniacki showed no signs of discomfort in the high-intensity first match against Azarenka, but once she was drawn into another three-setter yesterday, her body started to fall apart.But she refused to give up despite cramps while serving for the match in the 10th game of the third set. Leading 30-15, Wozniacki went for an ambitious cross court return and ended up flat on the court writhing in pain.
The Dane was seen in tremendous pain but had exhausted her injury time out and two extra medical attentions which meant she had to get back on her feet and do it all alone.
But she somehow managed to stand up and egged on by her parents and supporters not only survived a crucial break point but also won two huge back-to-back points to seal a memorable win.“I feel great that I won even under this condition. I have absolutely no idea how I pulled it through, but I’m very happy about it. I’m going to do everything I can to get ready for tomorrow. I will be doing everything what the physiotherapist and doctor say. I just wasn’t to be out there,” said Wozniacki. Zvonareva, too, was not in her best of health coming in as an alternate for the injured Dinara Safina. The Russia took an injury timeout for her bleeding nose after a forgettable first set. Right from the start, Zvonareva looked rooted to the court and failed to hold a single serve in the first set. With breaks in the second, fourth and sixth games, Woziniacki claimed the first set in on time.
However, the Russian slowly got into her groove midway through the second set. After trading serves in the first and second games, Wozniacki broke Zvonareva’s serve in the sixth to go 4-2 up. But by now, it was clear that the Russian was gaining ground. Zvonareva started putting more balls in and forced Woznaicki to work hard for her points. It was game on once the world number 9 broke Wozniacki at love in the must win ninth game. A pumped up Zvonareva then survived two match points in the 12th to force the set into the tie-break, that she won comprehensively 7-3. The Dane was upset with herself for not sealing the win in the second set itself. “I really think I should have finished it when I had those two match points. The line umpire called one of them out, then she challenged it and it was just in. I wasn’t happy about that.”
Zvonareva now has her task cut out when she takes on Victoria Azarenka of Belarus today. “It’s always difficult to prepare when you don’t know when you will be called in to play. It just happened so fast and I still think did my best out there. It’s still prestigious to be here.”
RESULTS AND STANDINGS
White Group
4-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 9-Vera Zvonareva (Russia)
6-0 6-7(3) 6-4
Played on Wednesday
8-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat 1-Dinara Safina (Russia) 1-1 (Safina retired)
4-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) beat 6-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 1-6 6-4 7-5
Standings P W L SF SA PTS
1. Caroline Wozniacki 2 2 0 4 2 2
2. Victoria Azarenka 2 1 1 3 2 1
3. Jelena Jankovic 2 1 1 2 2 1
4. Vera Zvonareva 1 0 1 1 2 0
Withdrawn:
Dinara Safina 1 0 1 0 2 0
Maroon Group
1-Serena Williams (US) beat 5-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-2 6-4
Played on Wednesday
2-Serena Williams (US) beat 7-Venus Williams (US) 5-7 6-4 7-6(4)
Standings P W L SF SA PTS
1. Serena Williams 3 3 0 6 1 3
2. Elena Dementieva 2 1 1 2 3 1
3. Svetlana Kuznetsova 1 0 1 0 2 0
4. Venus Williams 2 0 2 2 4 0
Today’s schedule (starts 5pm)
Caroline Wozniacki vs Jelena Jankovic
Followed by
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Elena Dementieva
Followed by
Victoria Azarenka vs Vera Zvonareva
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