Comeback queen Caroline Wozniacki hails ‘dream come true’ at US Open
W
hen Caroline Wozniacki introduced in June that she was coming again to tennis three years after retiring, she mentioned she was doing it as a result of she thought she nonetheless might compete on the very prime.
At the US Open on Wednesday evening, the Dane proved true to her phrase, beating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-5, 7-6 to achieve the third spherical.
Having struggled for prime type in her first two tournaments again, the 33-year-old former world No1 served brilliantly and held her nerve when Kvitova threatened to take it to a decider. Wozniacki sat together with her head in her palms for just a few seconds as she let the magnitude of her achievement sink in.
“To be back on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in front of a packed crowd, it’s a dream come true,” mentioned the 2018 Australian Open champion. “If you’d asked me three years ago, I would have said I’d never be back on this court, but to be back and to beat the world No11 feels very, very special.”
Kvitova could not have been at her finest — she mentioned she had been struggling together with her well being since Montreal this month — however Wozniacki was robust, rock stable and calm, even within the strain moments.
“It feels amazing to beat an amazing player and champion like Petra,” she mentioned. “I knew I had a chance to win and I believe in myself.”
It is Wozniacki’s first victory over a top-20 opponent since she beat Kvitova within the WTA Finals in 2020. She now performs the American Jen Brady within the third spherical.