Caroline Wozniacki d&nbsp;Magdalena Rybarikova,&nbsp;6-3, 6-0

Caroline Wozniacki moved a step closer to a first Grand Slam title with a romp past 19th seed Magdalena Rybarikova at the Australian Open on Sunday.

The second seed handed out a tennis masterclass to the 2017 Wimbledon semi-finalist 6-3, 6-0 in 63 minutes of mesmerising shot-making on Rod Laver Arena.

&quot;She really mixes up the pace, I just tried to calm down, get my returns in and wait for the opportunities to attack,&quot; she said after a ruthless rout of the Slovak.

&quot;I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment,&quot; she added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;I&#39;m admiring myself right there.. I&#39;m sorry!&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/CaroWozniacki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CaroWozniacki</a> on her first Grand Slam tweener ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/XPdyXzWV5q">pic.twitter.com/XPdyXzWV5q</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/954929422141833216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The world number two from Denmark will face the unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain for a place in the semi-finals after advancing in just 63 minutes.

&nbsp;

The world number two from Denmark will face the unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain for a place in the semi-finals

Caroline Wozniacki d Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-3, 6-0 Caroline Wozniacki moved a step closer to a first Grand Slam title with a romp past 19th seed Magdalena Rybarikova at the Australian Open on Sunday. The second seed handed out a tennis masterclass to the 2017 Wimbledon semi-finalist 6-3, 6-0 in 63 minutes of mesmerising shot-making on Rod Laver Arena. "She really mixes up the pace, I just tried to calm down, get my returns in and wait for the opportunities to attack," she said after a ruthless rout of the Slovak. "I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment," she added. "I'm admiring myself right there.. I'm sorry!"@CaroWozniacki on her first Grand Slam tweener ????#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/XPdyXzWV5q — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2018 × The world number two from Denmark will face the unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain for a place in the semi-finals after advancing in just 63 minutes.

Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki books quarter-finals berth

Caroline Wozniacki claimed her maiden grand slam title with a 7-6(2) 3-6 6-4 win over top seed Simona Halep in the Australian Open final on Saturday.

The second-seeded Dane also claimed the world number one ranking from Halep, exactly six years after relinquishing it at the 2012 Australian Open.&nbsp;

Caroline Wozniacki won the first set of the Australian Open women`s final 7-6 (7/2) against Simona Halep as she attempts to claim a first-ever Grand Slam title on Saturday.

The imposing Dane got an early break to go 2-0 up and it went with serve until Halep pounced to break back for 4-5 and take it to a tiebreak.&nbsp;

Wozniacki quickly took charge, winning the tiebreak 7-2 when Halep sent a forehand into the net.

Halep and Wozniacki are looking for their first. They are both in their third major decider but have never won.

Wozniacki, 27, has long carried the unwanted moniker of best player never to claim a major, having reached the US Open final in 2009 and 2014, and first becoming number one in 2010.

She is in her 43rd Grand Slam appearance and desperate to get off the mark.

The second-seeded Dane also claimed the world number one ranking from Halep

Caroline Wozniacki claimed her maiden grand slam title with a 7-6(2) 3-6 6-4 win over top seed Simona Halep in the Australian Open final on Saturday. The second-seeded Dane also claimed the world number one ranking from Halep, exactly six years after relinquishing it at the 2012 Australian Open. Caroline Wozniacki won the first set of the Australian Open women`s final 7-6 (7/2) against Simona Halep as she attempts to claim a first-ever Grand Slam title on Saturday. The imposing Dane got an early break to go 2-0 up and it went with serve until Halep pounced to break back for 4-5 and take it to a tiebreak. Wozniacki quickly took charge, winning the tiebreak 7-2 when Halep sent a forehand into the net. Halep and Wozniacki are looking for their first. They are both in their third major decider but have never won. Wozniacki, 27, has long carried the unwanted moniker of best player never to claim a major, having reached the US Open final in 2009 and 2014, and first becoming number one in 2010. She is in her 43rd Grand Slam appearance and desperate to get off the mark.

Caroline Wozniacki beats Simona Halep to win Australian Open

Caroline Wozniacki is one match away from ending her Grand Slam title drought after overcoming a late wobble to beat unseeded Elise Mertens and reach the Australian Open final Thursday.

The Danish world number two won 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in 1hr 37min after almost allowing the world number 37 a way back when serving for the match at 5-4, and seemingly in complete control.&nbsp;

Two double faults enabled Mertens, in her first semi-final at this level on her Australian Open debut, to level at 5-5.

Serving to take it to a tiebreak at 5-6 Wozniacki then needed to save three sets points before sealing the match in the tiebreak.

&quot;It means so much to me.&quot; she said after reaching her maiden Australian Open final and her first Grand Slam decider since 2014, where she will play either top seed Simona Halep or the 2016 Melbourne Park champion Angelique Kerber on Saturday.

&quot;I got really tight at 5-4. I thought &#39;calm down it&#39;s all good&#39;. It wasn&#39;t good anymore. Served a couple of double faults.

&quot;Normally I am really calm so once I started feeling really nervous, it felt like my legs were shaking a bit.

&quot;I just took a few deep breaths and once she had set point, I said: &#39;Well, I guess it is a third set. Just need to go forward&#39;.&quot;

Wozniacki has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors -- this will be just her third Grand Slam final appearance, nine years after her first at the US Open in 2009.&nbsp;

The 27-year-old rose to the top of the world rankings in 2010 but has only made the title match at a Grand Slam once since then, also at Flushing Meadows in 2014.

Mertens, in only her fifth Grand Slam appearance and Australian Open debut, signalled her intent to attack from the start, standing inside the baseline to receive Wozniacki&#39;s second serve.

Aggressive overtures 
It was a high-risk strategy and with Wozniacki repelling all the Belgian&#39;s aggressive overtures, the errors began to flow at regular intervals from Mertens&#39; racket.

Serving at 1-3, 15-40, a netted forehand, her fifth unforced error on that wing, gave the Dane, back in a semi-final at Melbourne for the first time since 2011, the first break.&nbsp;

Mertens, seeking to become the first Belgian since Kim Clijsters here in 2011 to reach a Slam final, kept up the attack and fashioned a break point in the next game but Wozniacki stood up to the challenge and held for 4-1.

Serving at 2-5, Mertens saved a set point when Wozniacki went long with a forehand. The Dane was unperturbed by the minor setback and held to love to seal a comfortable first set 6-3 after 38 minutes.

There was little between the pair in terms of winners in the first stanza, Wozniacki edging the count 13 to 12.&nbsp;

But the unforced error count was telling -- the Dane committing just six while Mertens threw away 14 points.

The second set went with serve until the Dane&#39;s late wobble, before she finally made it through.

The Danish world number two won 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in 1hr 37min after almost allowing the world number 37 a way back when serving for the match at 5-4,

Caroline Wozniacki is one match away from ending her Grand Slam title drought after overcoming a late wobble to beat unseeded Elise Mertens and reach the Australian Open final Thursday. The Danish world number two won 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) in 1hr 37min after almost allowing the world number 37 a way back when serving for the match at 5-4, and seemingly in complete control. Two double faults enabled Mertens, in her first semi-final at this level on her Australian Open debut, to level at 5-5. Serving to take it to a tiebreak at 5-6 Wozniacki then needed to save three sets points before sealing the match in the tiebreak. "It means so much to me." she said after reaching her maiden Australian Open final and her first Grand Slam decider since 2014, where she will play either top seed Simona Halep or the 2016 Melbourne Park champion Angelique Kerber on Saturday. "I got really tight at 5-4. I thought 'calm down it's all good'. It wasn't good anymore. Served a couple of double faults. "Normally I am really calm so once I started feeling really nervous, it felt like my legs were shaking a bit. "I just took a few deep breaths and once she had set point, I said: 'Well, I guess it is a third set. Just need to go forward'." Wozniacki has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors -- this will be just her third Grand Slam final appearance, nine years after her first at the US Open in 2009. The 27-year-old rose to the top of the world rankings in 2010 but has only made the title match at a Grand Slam once since then, also at Flushing Meadows in 2014. Mertens, in only her fifth Grand Slam appearance and Australian Open debut, signalled her intent to attack from the start, standing inside the baseline to receive Wozniacki's second serve. Aggressive overtures It was a high-risk strategy and with Wozniacki repelling all the Belgian's aggressive overtures, the errors began to flow at regular intervals from Mertens' racket. Serving at 1-3, 15-40, a netted forehand, her fifth unforced error on that wing, gave the Dane, back in a semi-final at Melbourne for the first time since 2011, the first break. Mertens, seeking to become the first Belgian since Kim Clijsters here in 2011 to reach a Slam final, kept up the attack and fashioned a break point in the next game but Wozniacki stood up to the challenge and held for 4-1. Serving at 2-5, Mertens saved a set point when Wozniacki went long with a forehand. The Dane was unperturbed by the minor setback and held to love to seal a comfortable first set 6-3 after 38 minutes. There was little between the pair in terms of winners in the first stanza, Wozniacki edging the count 13 to 12. But the unforced error count was telling -- the Dane committing just six while Mertens threw away 14 points. The second set went with serve until the Dane's late wobble, before she finally made it through.

Australian Open: Wobbly Wozniacki beats Mertens to enter final

At its zenith, the British Empire was so extensive that it was told, &ldquo;this is the empire on which sun never sets&rdquo;.

&nbsp;

So during the last two weeks when Roger Federer was demolishing best of Tennis talent from across the globe at Australian Open, this phrase was echoing in my mind. Here is the enigma called Federer, who is playing professional Tennis for the last two decades yet continues to be a world beater. We can say, just like the British Empire, the sun will never set on Federer&#39;s career.

&nbsp;

We need to realise, once upon a time deep in the past, Federer won his first Grand Slam. That was July 2003. Mark Zuckerberg was still writing codes of Facebook, Barack Obama was just an Illinois State Senator, our hero MS Dhoni was toiling to make a mark at national level Cricket, Android &amp; smartphone did not exist and Apple hadn&rsquo;t even conceptualized its first iPhone.

&nbsp;

In one of the most competitive, popular and demanding sports, in which men from across length and breadth of the globe are toiling hard to make a mark, maintaining a winning spree the at the top level, for so long, is unequivocally no less than a miracle. At the top of it, in the Australia Open of 2018, Federer stormed in his 30th Grand Slam final, without dropping a set.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Till 2012, Federer had become, arguably, the greatest Tennis player of all times (GOAT) but the way he has propelled himself over the past 13 months, he is now even way beyond this &#39;GOAT&#39; discussion. He is reaching a level when he is set to symbolise the very sports he has been representing for all those years. Federer is to Tennis, what Pele is to Football &amp; Usain Bolt is to sprinting.

&nbsp;

With the 20th Grand Slam at Melbourne Park, Federer is at the unassailable summit. Federer is the only man in history who has won three Grand Slams at least five times. He won his 17th Grand Slam in 2012 (Wimbledon). The tally remained the same until the end of 2016. Even the most ardent of Federer&rsquo;s fans started believing that it was for the love for the game that Federer was stuck to court and as such 17 would remain his final tally. But with Australian Open last year, Federer spun a huge surprise. His resurgence with a bang has been quite unique and epitomises his greatness.

&nbsp;

But let&rsquo;s put number and statistics aside for a while, Federer is the greatest because of his alluring and slick playing style. The sign of greatest sportsperson is that they make things look so simple. If you see Shane Warne bowling and cueist Ronny &lsquo;O&rsquo; Sullivan clearing snooker table, you would feel how simple it is to bowl a leg-break or play snooker. Federer is in this class. His movement on courts are so rhythmic and at the top of it, single-handed backhand with clinical precision is Federer&rsquo;s biggest weapon. In fact, fluency in playing style is the secret of his longevity as his style is far less sapping on his body.

&nbsp;

Federer is the most complete player as Jimmy Connors once rightly described him &ldquo;There are four kinds of players in Tennis, hard court specialist, grass court specialist, clay court specialist and Roger Federer&rdquo;. He is such a perfect mixture of elegance, power and hard work that it is like Edberg, Sampras and Agassi rolled into one player.

&nbsp;

Marin Cilic deserves a mention too. Cilic had an unambiguous run till the final where he failed to conquer the big wall. With two finals in three Grand Slams, Cilic is nearing breakthrough and would be a player to watch in 2018.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Women Tennis, on the contrary, is being driven by a pool of many players who are at par with each other. After Williams sisters and Belgian duo Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, Women Tennis is still waiting for the next breakthrough player. There are many players on the WTA with 1 or 2 Slams under their belt but none ruling the roost. This is well manifested by the fact that at the Australian Open of 2018, top two seeded players were playing in the final for their first Grand Slam.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Playing in her 43rd Grand Slam, when 2nd seeded Caroline Wozniacki was pumping her fist after winning her first Slam, I was recalling that tall big serve Croatian Goran Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic won his first Slam 13 years after he turned pro and after playing in more than 35 Slams.

&nbsp;

Wozniacki attained the top rank at the WTA way back in 2010 but then in August 2016, she hit a ranking as low as 74. In the second round match at the Australian Open she was 1-5 down in the final set and was facing two match points, but she showed nerves and staged an incredible comeback and never looked back. Considering this, her victory is unique. However it is to be seen that how her success will sustain in days to come, considering the volatility in Women&rsquo;s Tennis.

&nbsp;

But the bottom line remains that Australian Open would be known for one thing. It has delivered a clear verdict that Federer is immortal.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Roger Federer is the greatest because of his alluring and slick playing style.

At its zenith, the British Empire was so extensive that it was told, “this is the empire on which sun never sets”. So during the last two weeks when Roger Federer was demolishing best of Tennis talent from across the globe at Australian Open, this phrase was echoing in my mind. Here is the enigma called Federer, who is playing professional Tennis for the last two decades yet continues to be a world beater. We can say, just like the British Empire, the sun will never set on Federer's career. We need to realise, once upon a time deep in the past, Federer won his first Grand Slam. That was July 2003. Mark Zuckerberg was still writing codes of Facebook, Barack Obama was just an Illinois State Senator, our hero MS Dhoni was toiling to make a mark at national level Cricket, Android & smartphone did not exist and Apple hadn’t even conceptualized its first iPhone. In one of the most competitive, popular and demanding sports, in which men from across length and breadth of the globe are toiling hard to make a mark, maintaining a winning spree the at the top level, for so long, is unequivocally no less than a miracle. At the top of it, in the Australia Open of 2018, Federer stormed in his 30th Grand Slam final, without dropping a set. Till 2012, Federer had become, arguably, the greatest Tennis player of all times (GOAT) but the way he has propelled himself over the past 13 months, he is now even way beyond this 'GOAT' discussion. He is reaching a level when he is set to symbolise the very sports he has been representing for all those years. Federer is to Tennis, what Pele is to Football & Usain Bolt is to sprinting. With the 20th Grand Slam at Melbourne Park, Federer is at the unassailable summit. Federer is the only man in history who has won three Grand Slams at least five times. He won his 17th Grand Slam in 2012 (Wimbledon). The tally remained the same until the end of 2016. Even the most ardent of Federer’s fans started believing that it was for the love for the game that Federer was stuck to court and as such 17 would remain his final tally. But with Australian Open last year, Federer spun a huge surprise. His resurgence with a bang has been quite unique and epitomises his greatness. But let’s put number and statistics aside for a while, Federer is the greatest because of his alluring and slick playing style. The sign of greatest sportsperson is that they make things look so simple. If you see Shane Warne bowling and cueist Ronny ‘O’ Sullivan clearing snooker table, you would feel how simple it is to bowl a leg-break or play snooker. Federer is in this class. His movement on courts are so rhythmic and at the top of it, single-handed backhand with clinical precision is Federer’s biggest weapon. In fact, fluency in playing style is the secret of his longevity as his style is far less sapping on his body. Federer is the most complete player as Jimmy Connors once rightly described him “There are four kinds of players in Tennis, hard court specialist, grass court specialist, clay court specialist and Roger Federer”. He is such a perfect mixture of elegance, power and hard work that it is like Edberg, Sampras and Agassi rolled into one player. Marin Cilic deserves a mention too. Cilic had an unambiguous run till the final where he failed to conquer the big wall. With two finals in three Grand Slams, Cilic is nearing breakthrough and would be a player to watch in 2018. Women Tennis, on the contrary, is being driven by a pool of many players who are at par with each other. After Williams sisters and Belgian duo Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, Women Tennis is still waiting for the next breakthrough player. There are many players on the WTA with 1 or 2 Slams under their belt but none ruling the roost. This is well manifested by the fact that at the Australian Open of 2018, top two seeded players were playing in the final for their first Grand Slam. Playing in her 43rd Grand Slam, when 2nd seeded Caroline Wozniacki was pumping her fist after winning her first Slam, I was recalling that tall big serve Croatian Goran Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic won his first Slam 13 years after he turned pro and after playing in more than 35 Slams. Wozniacki attained the top rank at the WTA way back in 2010 but then in August 2016, she hit a ranking as low as 74. In the second round match at the Australian Open she was 1-5 down in the final set and was facing two match points, but she showed nerves and staged an incredible comeback and never looked back. Considering this, her victory is unique. However it is to be seen that how her success will sustain in days to come, considering the volatility in Women’s Tennis. But the bottom line remains that Australian Open would be known for one thing. It has delivered a clear verdict that Federer is immortal. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: With 20th Grand Slam and counting, Federer is immortal

Former Australian Open <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-caroline-wozniacki-foils-jana-fett-enters-second-round-29806">champion Maria Sharapova ranked 48th the world</a> beat 14th seed Latvian Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets to enter the third round of the Australian Open at Melbourne.

Sharapova overpowered<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-elina-svitolina-survives-second-round-belinda-bencic-exits-29786"> her opponent &nbsp;6-1, 7-6 (7/4) as she</a> demolished Sevastova in scintillating style. The first set between the two players lasted just 23 minutes.

Even though Sharapova had difficulty in closing the match as Sevastova put up a last ditch effort to remain in the match, the Russian had no trouble in beating the Latvian who had stopped her in the quarterfinals of the US Open last year.

Sharapova may meet 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the next round if the German comes through in round-2.

Sharapova overpowered her opponent 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) as she demolished Sevastova in scintillating style

Former Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova ranked 48th the world beat 14th seed Latvian Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets to enter the third round of the Australian Open at Melbourne. Sharapova overpowered her opponent 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) as she demolished Sevastova in scintillating style. The first set between the two players lasted just 23 minutes. Even though Sharapova had difficulty in closing the match as Sevastova put up a last ditch effort to remain in the match, the Russian had no trouble in beating the Latvian who had stopped her in the quarterfinals of the US Open last year. Sharapova may meet 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the next round if the German comes through in round-2.

Australian Open: Sharapova demolishes Sevastova, enters third round

Caroline Wozniacki saved two match points to scrape through to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday after being 5-1 down in the final set to unheralded Jana Fett.

The number two seed somehow prevailed after a titanic struggle 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 against the little-known Croat on a searing Rod Laver Arena in two hours and 31 minutes.

The Danish former number one teetered on the brink of becoming the latest big-name casualty in the bottom half of a draw that has become the seeds&#39; graveyard when Fett held two match points.

&quot;That was crazy, I don&#39;t how I got back the in the match. She really took her shots, she had nothing to lose,&quot; said Wozniacki

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
1-5 down and facing two match points. <a href="https://twitter.com/CaroWozniacki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CaroWozniacki</a> did not give up. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/f6BHNDFfue">pic.twitter.com/f6BHNDFfue</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/953501834139717632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

But when in sight of by far the biggest win of her career, the world 119&#39;s nerves got the better of her as Wozniacki reeled off 10 points in a row to spark a winning run of six unanswered games.

&quot;Experience was crucial,&quot; said Wozniacki. &quot;I think she suddenly realised at 5-1 what was happening and I just had to attack and take advantage of it.&quot;

On Monday fifth seed Venus Williams, 10th seed CoCo Vandeweghe and 13th seed and reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens all made early exits, meaning the bottom half of the draw is now wide open.

Wozniacki will continue her quest for a first Grand Slam title next against either Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands or American Nicole Gibbs for a place in the last 16.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Caroline Wozniacki defeated Jana Fett, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Caroline Wozniacki saved two match points to scrape through to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday after being 5-1 down in the final set to unheralded Jana Fett. The number two seed somehow prevailed after a titanic struggle 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 against the little-known Croat on a searing Rod Laver Arena in two hours and 31 minutes. The Danish former number one teetered on the brink of becoming the latest big-name casualty in the bottom half of a draw that has become the seeds' graveyard when Fett held two match points. "That was crazy, I don't how I got back the in the match. She really took her shots, she had nothing to lose," said Wozniacki 1-5 down and facing two match points. @CaroWozniacki did not give up. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/f6BHNDFfue — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2018 × But when in sight of by far the biggest win of her career, the world 119's nerves got the better of her as Wozniacki reeled off 10 points in a row to spark a winning run of six unanswered games. "Experience was crucial," said Wozniacki. "I think she suddenly realised at 5-1 what was happening and I just had to attack and take advantage of it." On Monday fifth seed Venus Williams, 10th seed CoCo Vandeweghe and 13th seed and reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens all made early exits, meaning the bottom half of the draw is now wide open. Wozniacki will continue her quest for a first Grand Slam title next against either Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands or American Nicole Gibbs for a place in the last 16.

Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki foils Jana Fett, enters second round

caroline-wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki, News on Caroline Wozniacki, stories on Caroline Wozniacki, articles on Caroline Wozniacki, Caroline Wozniacki stories at Wion, Caroline Wozniacki news, Caroline Wozniacki latest news