Wozniacki & Sharapova Showdown

The fourth round match everyone was waiting for has become a reality in the Big Apple.

Published September 04, 2010 12:00

Wozniacki & Sharapova Showdown
Caroline Wozniacki

NEW YORK, NY, USA - When the draw was made it was the early match-up everyone was talking about, and on Saturday it came to fruition. Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova blew past their third round opponents at the Open and will now battle each other for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Both took the court at the same time, Wozniacki on Armstrong and Sharapova on Ashe. Wozniacki, the No.1 seed, was the first to advance, drawing 31 errors from Chan Yung-Jan to move through, 61 60. Wozniacki has now lost just three games in three matches, the fewest any player has lost to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam since Mary Pierce lost two at the 1994 French Open.

"I've been feeling good out there," Wozniacki said. "It says something about how the level I've been playing. It's nice. There are periods where you feel you're playing great and you feel like the court is bigger, the balls are bigger. You see everything clearly. At the moment I'm happy to be out there."

Sharapova, the No.14 seed and a three-time Grand Slam winner, including here at the Open four years ago, scored her second career double bagel on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, crushing American wildcard Beatrice Capra, 60 60. The 18-year-old Capra was one of just two Americans to reach the third round but was no match for Sharapova, whom she idolized while (recently) growing up.

"It's still nothing but positives for me," said Capra, who had upset the No.18 seed, Aravane Rezai, two days earlier. "I had a really good first round then beat a Top 20 player, and although I would have liked to do better playing Maria on Arthur Ashe, it was still amazing. It has been a great experience."

Sharapova's first double bagel also came against an American, blanking Bethanie Mattek-Sands on the clay courts of Charleston two years ago.

Sharapova leads Wozniacki in their head-to-head, 2-0, winning both of their previous meetings in straight sets. But they haven't played since 2008, when Wozniacki wasn't even in the Top 30, and Sharapova was ranked in the Top 5.

"Caroline can run all day and make you hit tons of balls," Sharapova said. "She changes the pace really well and gets her opponents off-balance. She does many things well. That's why she's at the top of the game right now."

"It will be totally different. When we go out there, we both have a 50% chance of winning," Wozniacki said. "I just need to get those percentages for me."

Tennis Warehouse

Share this page!

Related news

  • Hampton Outdoes Vinci In Brussels

    May 24, 2013
    Jamie Hampton edged Roberta Vinci to reach her first Premier-level semifinal at the Brussels Open. It was her third Top 20 win - who were her first two Top 20 wins? Kaia Kanepi also advanced.
  • French Open Draw Unveiled

    May 24, 2013
    Serena Williams begins her quest for a second French Open title against World No.83 Anna Tatishvili.
  • Stats Corner: Co-No.1s At Slams

    May 24, 2013
    Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci are seeking to become just the second pair of co-doubles No.1s to be victorious at a major.
To The Top
3