Caroline Wozniacki started off the year early with her first singles win at the Dubai Championships Finals last Sunday. Wozniacki faced off with Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was not seen as a top contender against the Danish champ.
This makes for Wozniacki’ 13th career title, which she took relatively easily. She didn’t drop a set and was more aggressive on the court, showing off repeated forays into the net which helped her gain a lead in the first set. Although she had had to deal with a few missed strokes, Wozniacki breezed through the set, winning the final four games as her opponent sent off erratic shots and missed several volleys. She maintained her speed in the second set for a 3-1 score.
“I definitely went for my shots. It’s paying off now,” Wozniacki said after her win. “I’m definitely playing better than I have been before.” Wozniack is expected to hold the top spot through March 20. Her most recent match was at the Australian Open,where she lost to Chinese player Li Na. She will retake the number one ranking from Kim Clijsters this week.
“I hate to lose. For me to stand here as the winner of the tournament, it’s a great feeling. I have the confidence. I know I’m playing well. The hard training is paying off. So I’m really pleased,” Wozniacki said.
The total number of unforced errors by Kuznetsova made it difficult for her to regain her balance and she blames the loss to not having her best game on Sunday.
“I just didn’t play well. I did too many unforced errors. She played a basic game and didn’t have to do much. I was just making so many unforced errors.”
