Caroline Wozniacki handled her game to another victory at the ASB Classic Wednesday. The number one seed ran away in both sets to beat Petra Martic 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court at the ASB Tennis Arena. What almost looked like a fight from the Croatian ending in dominance for Wozniacki who averaged 71 percent going 24 for 27 on the first serve and 11 of 13 on returns.
The world number three has a better chance of moving up the ranks that could include being world number one. With Garbine Muguruza’s retirement, the Dane who was in close range of both the Spaniard and Simona Halep had a positive turnout in her first match of 2018. The top seed shutout Madison Brengle in the second set to ease into things. In facing Martic, Wozniacki has beaten her three times with most coming in straight sets. Getting into the quarterfinals would certainly help her cause in her fifth appearance at the tournament.
She opened with a service hold against Martic sending a message of strong offense. She then got a taste of answering the returns of the Dane who took a 2-0 lead quick. The consolidation of a second straight service hold put the Croatian in danger of seeing a runaway occur on court. Martic somehow put a stop to the number one seed’s winning streak allowing her a point before taking the fourth. She got another in the fifth but that was all that Wozniacki was ready to allow at the start of the match. The world number three put a grip on the set and took off winning the next three to conclude 22 minutes of play. Wozniacki served 84 percent and 15 of 16 on points from the first.
When it looked as if dominance from Wozniacki was well in play, Martic burst into action breaking Wozniacki before consolidating with a hold. It was again all she could get from the top seed as she regrouped to take the next three in a row running the Croatian out. She pushed Martic to the brink going into the eighth as the Dane had a 5-2 hold. She finished things off with a double match point earning the break that finished the day in 54 minutes. She’ll pit up against American Sofia Kenin who had a fight match against Varvara Lepchenko.
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