Caroline Wozniacki
wins her match against Maria Kirilenko
Danish teenager
Caroline Wozniacki underlined her credentials as an
exciting new talent on the women's tour as she defeated
the Russian, Maria Kirilenko, 6-0, 6-4 in one hour 14
minutes on Centre Court.
Although only 18, Wozniacki came into the 2009
Championships as 9th seed after winning the pre-Wimbledon
tournament at Eastbourne. Having reached the third round
she has equalled her debut performance in 2008.
Wozniacki had defeated the 22-year-old Kirilenko for the
loss of just two games in their only previous encounter,
at Indian Wells in March last year, and it seemed for a
long time in this match that she would even improve on
that one-sided occasion.
She swept the opening set in only 26 minutes and when she
extended the run of straight games to nine in this battle
of two pony-tailed blondes sporting white visors,
Wozniacki seemed headed for a 'double bagel' win.
Her forehand, struck with an exaggerated follow-through
in the manner of the great Steffi Graf, inflicted serious
damage on Kirilenko, and the Dane even enjoyed the
occasional spot of good fortune to deepen the Muscovite's
woes.
The first indications that this match might not turn out
to be the ultimate cakewalk came in the second game of
the second set. Although she eventually dropped serve in
a long deuce contest, Kirilenko dramatically upped her
work rate, accompanied by a sharply escalating level of
shrieking, and suddenly Wozniacki's stroll was
transformed into a decent contest for the spectators
awaiting the arrival of Andy Murray in the next match.
From nine games
down, Kirilenko won four of the next five games to draw
level at 4-4. She especially enjoyed holding serve from
0-40 down in the eighth game. But then, as quickly as the
counter-attack had been mounted, it petered out against
Wozniacki's relentess hitting. Having held to love to go
5-4 ahead, the Dane then broke Kirilenko to 15 and
proceeded to blow kisses to the crowd, a la Sharapova.
Caroline will face
Anabel Medina Garriges in the next round
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