HONG KONG – Top seeds Europe powered into the final of Hong Kong’s World Team Challenge Wednesday, with world number one Caroline Wozniacki and her teammate Aravane Rezai notching straight-sets singles wins.
Danish sensation Wozniacki, 20, dispatched China’s top woman Li Na 6-4, 6-3 to help the Europeans to a 4-0 clean sweep in the semi-final clash with Asia-Pacific in the season-opening exhibition. World number 19 Rezai had dismissed Hong Kong’s top-ranked player Zhang Ling 6-3, 6-0, as some of the biggest names in the women’s game warmed up for the season’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, starting on January 17. “It was a great match and good preparation for the Australian Open,” Wozniacki,
who is playing with new racquet this year, said after her singles rubber. “I have been playing great tennis last season,” Wozniacki said. “I won six tournaments, I’ve beaten a lot of the top players and I feel like I deserve to be there.” Rezai, 23, of France, gave an erratic performance marked by six double faults and a series of unforced errors in the first set but a sublime second set display which saw her take the match 6-3, 6-0. Sweden’s six-time Grand Slam singles champion Stefan Edberg beat Australian former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis by the narrowest of margins in a thrilling “legends” match – tying at one set each before taking the tie-breaker 10-8. In the last rubber Wozniacki and Edberg eased comfortably past Li and Philippoussis 6-3, 6-2 to complete the clean sweep. Europe advance to the gold group final while Asia Pacific will play in the silver group final.
