Wozniacki wins Pan Pacific Open in straight sets over Osaka

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Caroline Wozniacki captured the Pan Pacific Open title for a second time Sunday in Tokyo. The 26 year old former number one finished off 18 year old Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 to win her second title of the tournament and the 24^th of her career.

The two players never met in their careers making the final a very interesting one. The 18-year-old got into position for the first time in her young career facing a former number one player who currently played like one. Wozniacki took care of Radwanska in her semifinal match needing three sets to play for a chance at a 24^th title. While the 18-year-old Japanese star got another victory over Elina Svitolina she made her intentions clear that the use of her strong shots and dominate force could help her capture her first WTA title.

The Dane has been a powerful force the last few weeks and with a chance to become a two time singles champ of the tournament, she’ll hope to maintain stability and tame the youngster to a short match.

Wozniacki found herself trailing early to the 18-year-old who despite taking a fall during one of the games, she held two breaks on the former number one as well as the lead. The Dane fired back with a win on the break during the sixth game before fighting tooth and nail to get control from Osaka. The Japanese star found no reason to give in in front of the home crowd; holding serve after a couple of breaks.

During the break, Wozniacki left the court to have her upper left leg wrapped up as she showed signs of pain during the previous game. When she returned, Wozniacki broke Osaka, and then held serve to take a 5-4 lead all thanks to the Japanese tennis star racking up the unforced errors. The 18-year-old went back to service putting her best together at the critical moment preventing the Dane from winning the set.  

She forced Wozniacki to deuce in the 11^th but continued to struggle on first serve returns watching the ball smash into the net. She was also being tested on the second serve which took its toll ending the longest game of the match. Osaka served to stay alive in the set but was quickly overwhelmed by the 26-year-old who was in fine form. She took the set 7-5 completing an hour on court with one more set to win.

Despite having two double faults in the set, Wozniacki had a working first serve that helped her record break points on the youngster. It took its toll on Osaka who had 18 unforced decided to take the opportunity of conditioning during the set break checking out her right shoulder.

When both ladies were reenergized, they got back to play with Wozniacki opening service in the second set. She wasted no time consolidating her hold of serve with a break followed by a second straight hold. The 26-year-old let Osaka have it making her run from each side of the court before finishing the rally with a clean winner. It was a runaway for Wozniacki who allowed Osaka just four points in the set carrying a strong defense.

It was a 5-0 run for the 2010 champ as she saw the title on the horizon needing just one more game to get it done. The young Japanese star had one last shot on serve to get a win or suffer a hard loss. She kept Wozniacki down on the score holding serve until a bad angle allowed her opponent to get on deuce. The ladies elapsed three breaks with Osaka getting the last laugh. She watched as her adversary’s return flew long of the court helping her avoid the dreaded bagel.

She wasn’t out of the woods when it came to the match as Wozniacki returned to serve for the title. She was a little too tight to start the seventh but reeled it back in leveling the score at 30 all. Osaka attacked on the return to regain the lead but lost it on a long rally that sent the game to deuce. The 18 year somehow kept the heat on Wozniacki regaining control that gave her a second straight victory once again holding off the former number one.

During the break, Wozniacki’s coach and father came out pleading with her to calm herself and get back control to end it. She watched Osaka win a third straight knowing that she had to put an end to the teenager. She served up a big response gaining three match points where the final rally of the match ended with Osaka sending the ball far to the left ending the 1 hour and 46-minute battle.

“She’s been playing really good, Wozniacki said about her final opponent. “She’s gonna be a great player, and she’s already rising in the ranks so fast. I have no doubt we’ll see her in many more finals.”

With so much momentum built up for the Dane, shell try to keep up the energy going into the next tournament in Wuhan China that expects to be just as difficult as the Pan Pacific Open

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Wozniacki advances to Pan Pacific Open finals upsetting Radwanska

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2010 title winner Caroline Wozniacki secured a final spot defeating the defending champion of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Saturday afternoon. The former number one knocked out second seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in a lengthy three setter 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 at Ariake Coliseum on the grounds of the Ariake Tennis Forest.

This was a first meeting this season and the 13^th that began the friendly rivalry dating back to 2007. Wozniacki leads the series 8-4 with her having not lost against Radwanska in the last six sets. The world number four and defending champion of the open wanted to not only break the losing streak but to inch closer to win back to back titles in Tokyo. She handled her quarterfinal match like a pro giving Monica Puig a loss in straight sets. With a player who she has practiced with on numerous occasions, the second seed had to put friendship aside and get to business as usual.

Radwanska held serve in the opening game but her defense on the serve of Wozniacki proved to be difficult early on. Unforced errors handed an easy win to the former number one who had strong service shots to begin the match. She continued on the path matching the wins of her rival through four games. Wozniacki kept the pace through six putting all her effort to capture the first break in the seventh.

The Dane forced deuce with Radwanska who opened the door for her opponent to gain the opportunity for control. Though it took a couple of breaks, Wozniacki managed to get the win and take a 4-3 lead. Radwanska was fine changing the pace of the game responding with a break of her own to level the set once more. She consolidated with a hold of serve in the ninth holding off Wozniacki who broke the love service.

She went for the victory in the tenth but not without opposition from Wozniacki who forced deuce making Radwanska earn it. She did work in the tight competition to end things in 48 minutes. The stats between the two were dead even with the only difference being that the Polish star was a set up in the match.

Wozniacki began service in the second set getting a victory over Radwanska to make the important stance. It was the last she’d see for a time as the world number four took off like a lightning bolt taking the next three games. A break for the Dane arrived just in time breaking the winning streak of Radwanska staying closer than she was when the set began. She leveled things at three all with the notion that she had to gain some control in the game.

Things got into deuce through a couple of breaks but in the end it was Radwanska holding service to gain back the lead. Radwanska was back in control dictating her way to a 5-3 break in the eighth serving for the match win. Unforced errors plagued her hope for perfection losing confidence and allowing Wozniacki some hope. She got the victory with an angled shot away from Radwanska for the break and the serve back in her hands to open the tenth.

Wozniacki jumped out to 40-0 on serve and prevented any room for her opponent pushing the set forward beyond the required number. The Dane made a serious statement in the 11^th where she gained two break points on Radwanska to serve for the set. Despite the serious play that occurred in the 12^th, Wozniacki got the big edge on deuce and captured the set making a deciding third to be the biggest moment of their run at the tournament. The set took 61 minutes to complete with Wozniacki putting plenty of pressure on Radwanska to put her title on the line in the critical stage.

Radwanska found the difficultly into a higher gear as she broke on serve in the opening game. She fought back to break Wozniacki making it clear that she wasn’t going to be the superior one on court. It soon turned into Radwanska’s game to be victorious as she gained a 3-1 lead on the Dane hoping to keep the fire alive. It was suddenly quenched by Wozniacki who had enough in her to keep fighting.

She pressed hard to get back to level pegging after sixth making the seventh the biggest game changer to occur. The players got onto deuce with the Dane playing strong for the break but found herself in a tight game. After five break chances, she got it done to take the 4-3 lead completing the longest game of the match.

Wozniacki carried the pace as she neared the end of the road playing on serve in the eighth. Despite scraping up her knee during the rally, the world number 28 took a 5-3 hold playing for the match and the upset. She gained some ground against Radwanska who was playing to keep her repeat title hopes alive. The Polish star leveled back in the game before gaining the advantage on deuce that allowed her another game to play.

The ninth saw Wozniacki serve for the match where she easily got to three match points. She found herself one point away till an unforced error opened the door slightly for Radwanska. Though she gave up two points, she watched the 14 shot rally end with the ball landing into the net ending a long 2 hours and 50-minute match.

“I think every time I play her we play tough matches and long ones,” Wozniacki said during her on court interview. “I played really well today and lucky to have won that second set.” With a very hard match over and done with, the 26-year-old could relax while awaiting the winner between Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina in the final scheduled for Sunday.

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Svitolina captures semifinal spot upsetting Muguruza at Pan Pacific Open

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Elina Svitolina put in serious work and come out with an important victory at the Pan Pacific Open Friday. The world number twenty dealt with the skills and struggles of French Open champion Garbine Muguruza to win a spot in the semifinals 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 at Ariake Coliseum on the ground of the Ariake Tennis Forest. Despite the second seed having 28 winners and seven aces, her downfall came in the shape of 43 unforced errors which was too much leverage to give up.

The two previously met four times with their first pair of meetings coming in qualifying rounds. Muguruza won those matches pre-Grand Slams but in recent years, it was Svitolina who gained the real edge. Things have gone positively for the two but not without a struggle. The Spaniard hasn’t been herself since winning the French Open. She made a good run in Cincinnati but before and after, she still hasn’t shown consistency.

Her opening round of the tournament was successful to make the top eight. The Ukrainian has handled both her matches winning in straight sets against formidable opponents. With Muguruza as her first major competition, the world number 20 required to tame the third ranked player in the world.

She did very well in the opening set maintaining a strong first serve while Muguruza continued to brush off the rust from her game. She couldn’t keep pace with the Ukrainian who did just better on returns while keeping a high percentage of both sides of her service. Svitolina’s performance allowed her to walk away with the set taking it six game to two over Muguruza.

The second was a turnaround for the Spaniard who needed a victory to make it a match against the 22-year-old. She came out guns blazing recording four aces throughout and landed 17 of 22. She continued to face Svitolina’s strong offense but tamed her on the returns where she struggled severely. Of the 22 opportunities the world number 20 had to return, she managed just five against Muguruza and two of six when it came to second returns. It was enough for her to fall out in the late stages giving the number two seed the set 6-4.

With a semifinal spot on the line, the two young players had to play consistent tennis while preventing unforced errors from taking a toll on their game. Fatigue clearly began to show on Svitolina and Muguruza who showed signs of trouble with their second serve. The Spaniard took it harder committing so many unforced errors that opened the door for Svitolina.

The Ukrainian found her chance to surpass Muguruza in the seventh despite her inability to win break points during the deuce draws on court. She brushed off the current problems and carefully made it into position to win the match 6-3 completing a big upset that took nearly two hours to finish.

“It was a great performance from me and I think we both played really well,” Svitolina said during her on-court interview. “In the second and third sets it was great tennis. I was playing well from the first point. Maybe Garbiñe didn’t expect this but it was a great match and I’m really happy that it finished my way.” She’ll get ready to face Japan’s final hope of a title in the tournament in Naomi Osaka on Saturday afternoon.

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Wozniacki into Pan Pacific semis with win over Linette

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Caroline Wozniacki showed plenty of determination to win at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The former winner of the tournament advanced to the semis completing a straight sets win over Magda Linette 6-4, 6-3 at Ariake Coliseum Friday night.

The two Polish natives have never faced one another before making it a big moment for both parties. While Wozniacki searches for more points to get back to where she was, Linette reached her first WTA quarterfinal hoping to upset the former 2010 champion in Tokyo. Wozniacki hasn’t had it easy playing six sets where she was lucky to get out of trouble against her opponents. With Linette sitting as a lower ranked opponent than the last two, defeating her will be of most importance to make playing in a semifinal.

She began struggling quickly sitting a game down on Wozniacki who played a solid opening service. It soon turned into a 3-0 rout leaving some to wonder of Linette taking an egg. She avoided it on her second attempt of service ending the winning streak of the Dane. She gained a second against the former number one but it was all she would get in the set. Wozniacki pushed back hard increasing her margin to three games.

Linette had one chance to stay alive in the set serving up Wozniacki some difficulty. The former number one answered promptly to get on set point. She failed to put the cap on the game allowing Linette confidence. She used it to land an ace on Wozniacki during the deuce draw to end the eighth. She began building on her recent success and holds off the Dane for yet another game that put her within reach of a critical tie in the tenth.

Wozniacki knew that something had to be done to end the streak that Linette had built up all of the sudden. She made her intentions to remain the stronger of the two and locked down the set win taking the set in 40 minutes. Though the two had similar first serve percentages, Wozniacki did better on winning points off of it where she scored 18 of 20 while Linette tallied 12 of 22. Despite the low numbers, it was an early indication that more of the best would come from the Polish player.

She led the way in the set putting pressure on Wozniacki to match or outduel the Polish star. For five games, Linette conducted quite a stance in the set making her intentions clear to force a third deciding set if necessary. She lost control of things in the sixth as Wozniacki captured the break and consolidated it with a win in the seventh regaining the lead.

Wozniacki pressed forward taking a 5-3 hold in the set trying to get through to victory without any challenges remaining. The Dane found her offense frustrating her throughout the ninth but somehow fought back to recover. It was a big first serve that helped Wozniacki force Linette into a tough spot earning the two key points that gave her the win in 1 hour and 22 minutes.

“She’s been playing really well lately, and she’s played a lot of matches, and she’s tough,” Wozniacki said about Linette during her on-court interview. “She’s a good friend of mine and we practice a lot so we know each others game. I’m just happy that I was able to keep tough and serve it out in the end.” Tough is the word that describes her semifinal match playing Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday.

“We’ve played many times before and she's also a close friend and its gonna be a tough one,” Wozniacki said. “She’s been playing tough this week and I’ll do my best.”


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Radwanska handles Puig to reach semis

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Agnieszka Radwanska gave up very little in her match at the Pan Pacific Open Friday. The defending champion eased through to the semifinals defeating Monica Puig 6-2, 6-3 at Ariake Coliseum on the grounds of Ariake Tennis Forest in Tokyo. The number four seed had eight aces on the night and won 73 percent of service points.

It was the Olympic gold medalist hunting for further success with just a few more tournaments left in the season. The soon to be 23-year-old Puerto Rican found herself in the quarterfinal in Japan facing a formidable opponent in Radwanska. The world number four defeated Puig at the Australian Open in January and would look for another win to get closer to becoming a repeat champion.

Radwanska found holding her opening serve to be a little tricky with Puig responding well taking a strong stance in the middle of the court. She was able to match a win in the second hoping to avoid another on her next try. The world number four consolidated her hold by breaking Puig in the third before gaining a 3-1 lead on a second consecutive service hold. The Puerto Rican had to respond and did it with a 40-0 jump before hesitating on game point. Though she gave up a couple of points, Puig reeled in the win to sit a game down.

Radwanska regained her two game margin and added another on the break to sit 5-2 with the ball in her possession to go for the match. During the break, Puig and coach Juan Todero took in a deep conversation on what she needed to do to prevent the set from closing. The strategy never fully got into play as Radwanska easily put down the hammer to etch her name into the books for the set that took 29 minutes to complete. She scored on 11 of 14 of her first serve shots and was flawless in the second. The Pole smashed half her shots on serve which was just better than Puig who managed just 3 of 14.

The number two seed kept her grip of control and pushed her winning streak to five looking to dominate further on. She nearly had a flawless game but watched Puig make a comeback. It was quickly quenched by Radwanska who captured game point on serve taking a 2-0 stance. Efforts from the 22-year-old were apparent on-court of her need to break the winning streak of her strong adversary.

She managed to force deuce on her serve capturing the victory on a long rally that saw the players putting plenty of power on their shots. Radwanska tried to end it with a lob near the net but the young Puerto Rican got to it making the volleys important to keep in. It came to an end after one of Radwanska’s return didn’t stay inside giving her the win ending the six-game winning streak.

She added another moment of hard work against the serve of Radwanska. She played through five breaks where it was a double fault on the count of the Pole who gave her a second straight victory and some life with the score tied. Radwanska put her troubles to an end pushing to a 40-0 score before completing the love service.

She was back to her winning ways after the sixth gaining a two-game lead putting her on the path to a match win. Puig answered in the seventh smashing the volleys from Radwanska to insure her win of the game. The defending champion held her end of things in the eighth that took a toll on Puig. Her unforced errors increased quickly in the ninth handing Radwanska ease to the match point. She took three break points and won it on a ball shot long from the Puerto Rican ending the match in 1 hour and 16 minutes.

“I played my best tennis today serving the ball well and hitting well,” Radwanska said during her on-court interview. “I could do everything today I’m just really glad to have done well.” She’ll expect the best from herself as she’ll take on the winner between Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and fellow Polish player Magda Linette on Saturday.  

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