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Caroline
Wozniacki showed she is back as a force in women's tennis by knocking out Maria
Sharapova to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.
The Dane prevailed 6-4 2-6 6-2
to make the last eight at a grand slam for the first time since the
The last time the Wozniacki
beat Sharapova was at Flushing Meadows at the same stage four years ago, when
she was in her pomp.
Wozniacki was the better player
in the opening set, but it was no surprise to see Sharapova hit back in the
second.
Because of the hot and sticky
conditions, the heat rule was in effect, meaning a 10-minute break between the
second and third sets.
Sharapova took too long,
though, and was given a time violation, while Wozniacki then complained to the
umpire about the time her opponent was taking between serves.
Wozniacki made the breakthrough
in spectacular fashion in the fourth game of the decider; somehow the 10th seed
chased down a succession of lost causes before Sharapova netted a volley.
And there was no wavering from
the 24-year-old, who seized her first opportunity to clinch the match with a
backhand winner that cleaned the line.
Wozniacki said: "It means
so much to me. Things have been a bit up and down this year. To win against a
champion like Maria is an unbelievable feeling."
In the quarter-finals,
Wozniacki will play 13th seed Sara Errani, who ended the emotional run of
qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
The Croatian was back in the
fourth round at a slam for the first time since reaching the Wimbledon
semi-finals aged 17 in 1999.
Family and financial problems
derailed her career but her love for tennis never wavered and she is finally
back on the big stage.
The statistics told the story
of a match between two very different players, with Lucic-Baroni hitting 46
winners compared to just four for Errani.
But ultimately the Italian's
tally of nine unforced errors and Lucic-Baroni's mark of 69 proved the
difference in Errani's 6-3 2-6 6-0 victory.
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