Racquet Reaction - U.S. Open: Wozniacki d. King

U.S. Open: Wozniacki d. King	09/03/2011 - 2:24 PM

NEW YORK—Dumping a drop shot into the net from point-blank range, Caroline Wozniacki playfully dribbled the mis-behaving ball with her white adidas' while her soccer-playing dad and head coach, Piotr, peered over her shoulder from behind a pair of shades inside the player box in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Even when she made errors, the world No. 1 found ways to give flashes of frustration—and feisty Vania King—the boot. The top seed reeled off seven straight games mid match en route to a 6-2, 6-4 triumph to step into the fourth round of the U.S. Open for the fourth consecutive season.

It was Wozniacki’s seventh straight win and sent her into the round of 16 for the ninth time in her last 10 majors. The much-maligned Dane is playing some of her best tennis in a while—she’s surrendered just 12 games in three matches here—though she created some complications in completing today’s one hour, 36-minute match. Wozniacki served for it at 5-3, but went into prevent defense mode as King cracked a bold backhand winner down the line to break for 4-5.

In her first appearance on Ashe since she partnered Yaroslava Shvedova to win the 2010 U.S. Open doubles crown, the 103rd-ranked King knew she had to play high-risk tennis to trouble Wozniacki, and did so successfully at times. Ultimately, Wozniacki played a cleaner match, making just 17 errors compared to 39 for the 22-year-old Long Beach native.

Quick court coverage, unerring consistency and her willingness to grind from the baseline has earned Wozniacki the "Golden Retriever" nickname that some view as a derisive tag, highlighting her rep as a punchless counterpuncher who can struggle to finish points. Skeptics say defensive specialists don’t win majors these days. Francesca Schiavone won the 2010 Roland Garros, in part, because of her ability to attack net on pivotal points, but Wozniacki has the ability to play more offensively from the baseline while she works with adidas coaches Sven Groenefeld and Mats Merkel to develop a transition game. Wozniacki, who is at her best playing shot combinations, hits with more topspin than most members of the Top 10 and would be well served hitting deep, heavy topspin forehands to push opponents behind the baseline, create court space, and then work the short-angle forehand or strike her kill shot, the down-the-line backhand. In short, vary the height and depth of her drives.

Wozniacki didn’t do a lot of that today, relying on her legs and corner-to-corner consistency in fighting off three break points to hold for 3-2. She caught King trying to close the net and stretched her enough to coax a volley error and break for 4-2, part of a seven-game surge that saw her seize a 6-2, 3-0 lead. The American closed to 2-3 and took treatment to tape up her strained left thigh serving at 4-5, but Wozniacki used a lob winner and successive King errors to seal it and prompt the obligatory "Sweet Caroline" serenade over the sound system.

It’s hard to quibble with her performance through three rounds, though Wozniacki will likely need to amp up her aggression if she's to continue to get her kicks. A possible clash with former U.S. Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova looms next.

—Richard Pagliaro

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Posted by Samantha Elin, (Roll on jealous haters, Caro is back!)	09/03/2011 at 02:35 PM
Great job Caro. On to the 4th for the world's no l.

Posted by Adam B.	09/03/2011 at 03:03 PM
Go Caro! A decent match, with Caro only doing what was necessary to get the job done. Not her best match, particularly the 2 set - here's to hoping she'll bring out the big guns and give away less when she meets the tougher opponents.

Posted by Northernboy	09/03/2011 at 03:13 PM
Hrm - a good match - King did what she had to do to make it competitive. Nonetheless, we'll see if Wozniacki and Roddick can take their scurrying, consistent games deep in this tourney.

Posted by stern	09/03/2011 at 03:38 PM
Sausageniacki will fold!!!

Posted by wozfan	09/03/2011 at 03:43 PM
What?

Posted by stern	09/03/2011 at 03:46 PM
Wozniacki=klobassa Queen!!!

Posted by safina	09/03/2011 at 04:02 PM
Big guns are her cellulite. arms etc--LOL.

Posted by wozfan	09/03/2011 at 04:03 PM
She is a godess OK! ASSHOLEES

Posted by Bigfoot	09/03/2011 at 04:07 PM
Shes cute she is.

Posted by manixdk - Caro: is she starting to find her game?

09/03/2011 at 04:12 PM

Nice analysis. Finally, someone who is paying attention to the attention to the improvements in Caro's game. Caro's serve was a bit off today, and Vania was reading it well, putting Caro on her back foot more often than she would have liked. But she handled it well, and her normal terrific defensive game coupled with her improved forehand set up Caro's win even on an off-day.

"and would be well served hitting deep, heavy topspin forehands to push opponents behind the baseline, create court space, and then work the short-angle forehand or strike her kill shot, the down-the-line backhand. In short, vary the height and depth of her drives."

Thanks, Richard. That's exactly what they're working on. Nice to read an analysis of a Caro match from someone who is actually paying attention.

Posted by Mauresmo	09/03/2011 at 04:13 PM
Id hit-with my car. MAYBE merde.

Posted by stern	09/03/2011 at 04:16 PM
A work in egress>>>

Posted by stern	09/03/2011 at 04:22 PM
Sausage-sausage Man- oops imean WOman? ehn??

Posted by Aniston	09/03/2011 at 04:25 PM
Shes perrrfect

Posted by Samantha Elin	09/03/2011 at 04:29 PM
Ok she sucks but well-----------------------

Posted by Tennis Fan	09/03/2011 at 04:32 PM
Are U idiot's done with UR BS move on.

Posted by legal eagle	09/03/2011 at 04:48 PM
She will probably face Svetlana Kuznetsova in the round of 16. It will be a much better match to watch. http://myballsmyballs.blogspot.com/2011/09/us-open-day-6-update-serbians-are.html

Posted by Samantha Elin, (Roll on jealous haters, Caro is back!)	09/03/2011 at 06:51 PM
Safina and Mauresmo, please go back into retirement. Thanks. Right Wozz fan. What is wrong haters? Are your favorites out already? Kom sa, Caro.

Posted by Nicolaj	09/03/2011 at 07:01 PM
Well done Caroline! Not a perfect match, but enough to move on to the 4th round. I hope she will will against Kuznetsova, and we will get af Serena vs. Wozniacki semifinal.

Posted by robert	09/03/2011 at 07:10 PM
sounds like everybody is jealous! go caroline!

Posted by kesha	09/03/2011 at 07:22 PM
please lose next time, caroline idiot

Posted by deuce	09/03/2011 at 07:23 PM
I do believe woz is not getting to semifinals

Posted by nadal	09/03/2011 at 07:25 PM
u look ugly and play boring, even commentators hate you, my dog hate you and everybody is waiting for you get off that 1st ranking soon, no slam for polish bitches, din luder

Posted by caro fan	09/03/2011 at 07:27 PM
GO Caro, go

Posted by nadal	09/03/2011 at 07:27 PM
ps. alle i danmark hader dig, din polske biatch

Posted by Tina C	09/04/2011 at 01:12 AM
Caro are the best! keep it up!!

Posted by michael	09/04/2011 at 01:43 AM
To Nadal - your Danish language stinks and - no - she is loved in Denmark, so please keep your foul language where it's belongs, namely inside your own 4 walls...

Posted by Richard

09/04/2011 at 04:26 AM

Tennis is not a beauty contest - it's about winning points, games, sets, and matches. It is gritty, hard work. The court is figuratively a coal mine! Why is it that a tennis player who could be considered beautiful by Entertainment Tonight standards gets as much hate from y'all as one who - in your brainwashed-sense-of-beauty opinion - does not meet those criteria? It is ugly to call someone ugly - How many of you are really talking about yourself when you pollute this forum? We have the opportunity to intelligently discuus the sport and its top players here.
Get a shrink. Kick your dog. Stay away from here.

Posted by Samantha Elin, (Roll on jealous haters, Caro is back!)	09/04/2011 at 05:52 AM
To the 4:29 poster, stop posting using my name, that isn't allowed at this site. Roll on haters, she is back. Deal with it!!

Posted by Samantha Elin, (Roll on jealous haters, Caro is back!)	09/04/2011 at 05:54 AM
And Nadal, you don't know what you're talking about, I'm from Denmark and she is big so WTF are you talking about? Roll on hater!

Posted by stern	09/04/2011 at 06:03 AM
Richard - Ur ugly stupid and boring! IDIOT!

Posted by Samantha Elin, (Roll on jealous haters, Caro is back!)	09/04/2011 at 06:04 AM
Kom sa, Caro.

Posted by Richard	09/04/2011 at 07:06 AM
Wow, "stern" - take a nap! My mommy taught me that "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me." Or, you should try harder. And love tennis more.

Posted by stern	09/04/2011 at 09:37 AM
Nice comback DOUCHEBAG. Go back to ur mommy and U can both try "harder".

Posted by Richard	09/04/2011 at 10:19 AM
Thanks, "stern". I hope you're having as much fun here as I am. My mother and father are dead, however - and both were excellent tennis players. By the way, what do you have against old people?

Posted by stern	09/04/2011 at 07:16 PM
Thanks douchebag for another great comeback you must be old as I only have something against U. Keep having fun asswipe!

Posted by Gugenheim

09/04/2011 at 08:36 PM

All comentators ignore that Williams sisters are in reality MALES! Their muscles and movement have nothing to do with females. Test their hormones and will find out that they have more TESTOSTERONE than 50% of male tennis players. Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Azarenka,Wozniacki symbols of femininity, have NO CHANCE against Williams Brothers! By the way, they are all of SLAVIC RACE same as another famous feminine player, Martina Hingis.
Look at Martina Navratilova, Mauresmo, Capriati, Stefi Graff, loaded with TESTOSTERONE! of course, they did not need technical superiority against feminine Martina Hingis. They were winning with BRUTE MALE FORCE!!!
Only normal procedure should be to test female atletes in ANY sport for their level of testosterone. If it is above certain level, those atletes should compete in the third group, so called HERMAFRODITES. That would be only fair for REAL female atletes!

Posted by john	09/27/2011 at 02:58 PM
fantastic comments, love the blog

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