By Satya Rath/Doha
She has been one of the regular annual visitors to the Qatar Total Open, has 22 singles titles in her trophy cabinet, and was the world’s top-ranked woman tennis player for 67 weeks between 2010 and 2011.
Caroline Wozniacki, though, has never won a Grand Slam title. Not yet, since turning pro in 2005. She came close twice, at the US Open in 2009 and 2014, but faltered at the final hurdle each time.
The attractive Dane has never won in Doha either. Here too, she has come close, and again, twice. First, at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in 2010 (Doha was the host city of the event from 2008 to 2010), where she fell to now-retired Belgian Kim Clijsters in the final. She made the title round again the following year at Qatar Total Open, but went down in straight sets to Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
She’s back again, looking leaner and trimmer, and sounding hungrier and confident to break the trend. “I am feeling good,” the 25-year-old, who has been given a first-round bye here, told reporters after her training session yesterday. “I had a couple days off, which was nice. Feeling quite relaxed. Today I hit for like 45 minutes and it felt good. So yeah, I’m back on track.”
Her Grand Slam dream still remains elusive – she lost in the second round at the Australian Open in Melbourne last month – but Wozniacki is hardly concerned. “I think I am just seven matches away from winning that!” she laughed. “So it would be nice to win several matches in a row. That’s how far I am from it, just as far as everyone is. We’re all on equal ground whenever we go into one, and we all try to win it. I’ve made the semis in Australia, then quarters, then fourth round, then third round, this year second round… It’s kind of gone that way the last few years. Hopefully I’m going to break that next year and start going the other way.”
The world number five, who lost in the semi-finals of last week’s Dubai Classic to eventual champion Simona Halep of Romania, added that she enjoys coming back to Doha every year. “I think it’s a good tournament, it’s always tough competition because the best players in the world are here. I’m excited to be here and I’m looking forward to hopefully get some good matches in. The courts are a little slower here than they were in Dubai and the balls maybe a little heavier. It doesn’t fly as much, and I think that suits my game,” Wozniacki said.
Her troublesome knee too seems to have healed considerably. “That’s a problem that I’ve had for a while, so it’s not really that big a deal. I’m just going to probably tape it up for protection and just make sure it’s stable and that’s really it.”
The 2011 event was the closest she came to breaking her Qatar Open title jinx. “All losses hurt. But I’m a competitor, so I don’t brood over them, but just go over and work hard. I am serving well, I think my overall game has been pretty good, but I still feel there are so many things that I can improve upon and do better. I will just try and do my best.”
It’s been quite windy in Doha over the past few days, but that doesn’t concern Wozniacki. “Yeah, it’s been very windy, but that’s what you really expect when you get here because that’s how it usually is here every year. Yes, it’s a little cooler than Dubai and it’s definitely more windy, but we have all got used to it. It’s equal for all thankfully; it’s not like one side gets and the other doesn’t. So it’s all about just embracing it and making the most of it,” she said.
Caroline Wozniacki
