Wozniacki knocks Sharapova out
2 Sept 2014 6:16 AM IST
Also exiting on an afternoon of high humidity, which eventually descended into an early evening of lightning and torrential rain, was Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, the highest-ranked casualty in the men’s event.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, the 2006 title winner in New York, was defeated by Danish 10th seed Wozniacki with the 2009 runner-up claiming a deserved 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 triumph on a steamy Arthur Ashe Stadium court to reach the quarterfinal on Sunday.
Sharapova, looking to add this year’s US Open title to her French Open win in June, was undone by 43 unforced errors and eight double faults. The hot and humid conditions were so punishing that the players were granted a heat break in the locker room before the third set, and when they returned to the court Wozniacki wasted little time, breaking Sharapova to love in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead.
She broke the Russian superstar again in the final game to seal the victory and a chance to play 13th-seeded Italian Sara Errani for a semifinal berth. Errani ended the magical run of 32-year-old Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 2-6, 6-0. ‘It means so much to me. It’s been a bit up and down for me this season. To win on Monday against a champion like Maria is an unbelievable feeling,’ Wozniacki said.
The departure of fifth-seeded Sharapova leaves just two of the women’s top eight left, world number one and two-time defending champion Serena Williams and seventh-seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. ‘I thought she played really well. She made me hit a lot of balls. That’s always been her strength. But she did extremely well on Monday. She’s a great retriever, especially in these types of conditions. I just felt like I maybe went for a little too much,’ said Sharapova.
Gilles Simon sent Ferrer crashing to his earliest US Open defeat in five years with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 third round win. The 26th seeded Simon capitalised on the 52 unforced errors of the 32-year-old Ferrer, a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2012, who appeared to struggle physically towards the end.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, the 2006 title winner in New York, was defeated by Danish 10th seed Wozniacki with the 2009 runner-up claiming a deserved 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 triumph on a steamy Arthur Ashe Stadium court to reach the quarterfinal on Sunday.
Sharapova, looking to add this year’s US Open title to her French Open win in June, was undone by 43 unforced errors and eight double faults. The hot and humid conditions were so punishing that the players were granted a heat break in the locker room before the third set, and when they returned to the court Wozniacki wasted little time, breaking Sharapova to love in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead.
She broke the Russian superstar again in the final game to seal the victory and a chance to play 13th-seeded Italian Sara Errani for a semifinal berth. Errani ended the magical run of 32-year-old Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 2-6, 6-0. ‘It means so much to me. It’s been a bit up and down for me this season. To win on Monday against a champion like Maria is an unbelievable feeling,’ Wozniacki said.
The departure of fifth-seeded Sharapova leaves just two of the women’s top eight left, world number one and two-time defending champion Serena Williams and seventh-seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard. ‘I thought she played really well. She made me hit a lot of balls. That’s always been her strength. But she did extremely well on Monday. She’s a great retriever, especially in these types of conditions. I just felt like I maybe went for a little too much,’ said Sharapova.
Gilles Simon sent Ferrer crashing to his earliest US Open defeat in five years with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 third round win. The 26th seeded Simon capitalised on the 52 unforced errors of the 32-year-old Ferrer, a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2012, who appeared to struggle physically towards the end.
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