CHARLESTON – World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki rallied to reach the semi-finals of the WTA tour event here Friday, clawing her way past Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. “In every match, she finds a way to get out of it and beat her opponent,” Wickmayer said. “That’s most important.”
Wozniacki trailed in both the second and third sets, but won the last four games of the encounter to notch the 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 quarter-final win. The escape came a day after the top-seeded Dane needed two tiebreakers to beat Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. Wickmayer, the sixth seed, appeared in control with a 3-1 lead in the second set.
But Wozniacki fought back with precise shot making and her powerful forehand to force the deciding set. Once again Wickmayer took command, breaking Wozniacki on route to a 4-2 lead. “I knew that I was going to get one chance, and I had to take that,” Wozniacki said. Wozniacki held at love for 4-3, then broke Wickmayer’s serve. When Wickmayer threatened to break a game later, Wozniacki belted a serve clocked at 110 mph. Wozniacki held for 5-4, then broke the Belgian at love for the match.
“I mean, it’s unbelievable. Everyone is cheering for me and it’s such a great feeling,” said Wozniacki, who beamed and blew kisses to the crowd after securing the victory. Wozniacki next faces either third-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia who easily beat American teenager Christina McHale 6-2, 6-0. In other action, China’s Peng Shuai defeated India’s Sania Mirza 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
In the semi-finals Peng will face Russian Elena Vesnina who rallied to beat Germany’s Julia Goerges 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
