Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki reached the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday, while US Open champion Sam Stosur was beaten by Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.
Caroline Wozniacki ousted Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-3, 7-5 in a meeting of former No. 1s, after Jankovic had beaten Stosur 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Wozniacki eased through the first set and then overcame tougher resistance in the second before overcoming the Serb in 1 hour, 33 minutes.
“I’m very pleased to get through that in straight sets,” Wozniacki said. “Ana really stepped it up in the second set, took the balls very early and just played really well, actually. She took her chances and had nothing to lose.”
Wozniacki is the highest-seeded player left in Dubai at No. 3, after top-ranked Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the tournament on Wednesday because of an ankle injury.
Azarenka unseated Wozniacki from the No. 1 ranking last month by winning the Australian Open. Now at No. 4, Wozniacki says she is determined to regain the top spot — and perhaps finally getting the first Grand Slam title of her career this year.
“You know, a lot of things could happen. I could become the president as well. I could become a billionaire by tomorrow if I win the lottery,” Wozniacki said. “But you just need to enjoy winning and enjoy playing.”
Wozniacki would play Julia Goerges yesterday after the unseeded German defeated Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Earlier, eighth-seeded Jankovic was in control throughout the match as the fourth-seeded Stosur struggled with her game.
The Australian seemed to rush her shots for much of the first set, hitting the ball early and returning it long and wide. Stosur broke Jankovic early in the second, but the Serb broke right back and then pulled ahead 5-2 before wrapping up the match in 1 hour, 30 minutes.
Jankovic was scheduled to meet fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in the semi-finals yesterday. The Polish player advanced after defeating ninth-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany, 6-2, 6-1.
MONTERREY OPEN
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Timea Babos fought back to beat third-seeded Sorana Cirstea at the Monterrey Open on Thursday, giving Hungary two berths in the quarter-finals of the WTA event.
Babos won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final against Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, who was a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Czech Eva Birnerova.
Babos joins compatriot Greta Arn in the final eight. The sixth-seeded Arn beat Croatia’s Maria Abramovic 6-4, 6-2 and will play Nina Bratchikova in the quarters.
Thursday’s other match saw Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella defeat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-7, 6-4. Minella is scheduled to meet second-seeded Sara Errani in the last eight.
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