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Wozniacki crushes Muguruza

September 23, 2017
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns a shot to Garbine Muguruza of Spain during their semifinal match of the Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament in Tokyo Saturday. — AP
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns a shot to Garbine Muguruza of Spain during their semifinal match of the Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament in Tokyo Saturday. — AP

TOKYO — Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki crushed new world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-0 Saturday to advance to the final of the Pan Pacific Open as the Dane remained on course for a third title at the Tokyo tournament.

The third seed rallied from a set down to win her previous two matches but the 27-year-old wasted no time seizing control of her semifinal against Wimbledon champion Muguruza.

The Dane broke the top seeded Spaniard’s opening service game and repeated the feat twice more to cruise through the first set.

A stunned Muguruza, who had not lost a set in the previous rounds, was unable to gain any momentum and was shut out for the remainder of a match that was wrapped up in exactly one hour.

“I thought I played a good match today and stayed aggressive and served well,” Wozniacki told reporters, noting that playing tough opponents in her previous matches had helped toughen her up.

Wozniacki will contest her seventh final of the season after losing her previous six.

Muguruza, who was chasing her first title since being crowned world No. 1 this month, said she was “very disappointed” but would not dwell on the loss and instead focus on upcoming tournaments.

In Sunday’s final, Wozniacki will face Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who earlier withstood a furious rally to beat Angelique Kerber 6-0, 6-7(4), 6-4 to advance.

The match appeared headed for a blowout after 26-year-old Pavlyuchenkova, seeking her third title this year, took the first eight games against the former world No. 1.

However, Kerber dug in and broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve in the third game of the second set before the 29-year-old German forced a tiebreaker and stole the second set.

A rattled Pavlyuchenkova dropped the first three games of the final set but regained her composure to win six of the final seven and notch the victory.

Wozniacki leads Pavlyuchenkova 5-1 in their head-to-head meetings, although the pair have not faced each other since 2012.

Ostapenko in final

Top seed Jelena Ostapenko powered her way into the Korea Open final Saturday after a tight three-set battle with Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum, moving closer to claim the $250,000 title.

The 20-year-old French Open champion from Latvia beat Luksika No. 4 earlier upset the number four seed Sorana Cirstea, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 in 110 minutes.

Ostapenko will face Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, who sailed into the final after defeating Richel Hogenkamp of the Netherlands 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) in the semifinal Saturday.

Zhang triumphs

China’s Zhang Shuai battled to her second career title with a gutsy three-set victory in the final of the Guangzhou Open Saturday.

The No. 2 seed defeated unseeded Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in nearly two hours on the hard courts in southern China, to the delight of the home crowd.

Zhang, the world No. 30, held her arms aloft and dropped to her knees after sealing the title with an ace, recapturing the crown she won in 2013. — Agencies


September 23, 2017
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