Wozniacki emphasises number one status with win over Sharapova
Published:Caroline Wozniacki underlined her status as top seed at the US Open with a fourth-round victory over former champion Maria Sharapova.
Wozniacki had dropped just three games in her first three matches at Flushing Meadows but knew Sharapova would present a far tougher proposition.
However, the 20-year-old Dane produced a typically assured performance to win 6-3 6-4 and book a quarter-final clash with the unseeded Dominika Cibulkova.
“It was a really tough match, Maria is a great player so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Wozniacki, who reached the final here last year where she lost to Kim Clijsters.
“Reaching the final last year definitely helped me a lot, I got a lot of experience from last year and I’m just so happy that I won today and am through to the quarter-finals.”
Sharapova was let down by her serve and too many basic mistakes, the 14th seed serving nine double faults and committing 36 unforced errors compared to just 10 from Wozniacki.
The 23-year-old served three double faults in a row to lose her serve early in the first set, and although she clawed that break back, she promptly lost serve again in the next game to allow Wozniacki to serve out for the set.
And another double fault proved crucial in the second set, gifting Wozniacki the break she need to complete an impressive win.
Wozniacki shortened to 5/4 to win the US Open title and is 1/12 to progress from her match with Cibulkova.
Cibulkova, 6/1 to progress, is up against it having lost to Wozniacki in the Pilot Pen tournament just a week before the US Open started and Wozniacki is 1/4 to win in straight sets.
The pressure is on Clijsters, 7/4 to win the US Open, to produce a performance against Sam Stosur. See the full US Open tennis betting market here.
