Coming into 2012 as the world number 1, Caroline Wozniacki has endured a pretty miserable season as she witnessed helplessly how she was striped of all her possessions. First, she lost the top spot to Victoria Azarenka, then all of her WTA crowns and eventually, she dropped out of the top 10 after a disappointing first round loss at Wimbledon.
Things took a positive turn at the start of the Asian swing though, as the Dane ended a one year title drought by winning in Seoul. She followed that up with a promising performance in Tokyo, at the Pan Pacific Open, where she stunned old foe Na Li before succumbing to Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarters.
A last minute entry at the Premier event in Moscow, Wozniacki started strong, overcoming the younger Radwanska, Urszula, 6-1,6-3 to book a last eight meeting with defending champion, Dominika Cibulkova. The Slovak has always troubled the Dane, but on this occasion the latter proved the strongest. Caroline recovered after a second set hiccup, to cruise through the decider and serve out a 6-2,6-7,6-1 victory. A similar story unfolded during her semifinal clash with Swede Sofia Arvidsson. Wozniacki won the opener and had opportunities to close out the match in two sets, but Arvidsson fought back to push a decider. After the duo exchanged several breaks, it was the former world number 1 who sealed the win and booked her spot in the final.
The final showdown with former US Open champion, Sam Stosur, was a great reflection of Caroline's recent rejuvenation. Having lost three of the five previous encounters with the Aussie, she hanged in tough after the loss of the second act, 'annoying' her opponent with her exquisite defensive skills. Serving to stay in the match at 5-6 in the decider, Stosur cracked under pressure allowing the Dane to break and run away with the title.
With two crowns in as many months and several wins against some of her toughest rivals, Wozniacki looks to have found the peace and inner stability that took to the top of the rankings two years ago. Her game is still lacking a vital weapon, but her consistency and excellent passive-aggressive display can challenge most of the top players. She is surely looking forward to starting anew in 2013, and most importantly to fulfilling her promise of regaining her top spot.
A last minute entry at the Premier event in Moscow, Wozniacki started strong, overcoming the younger Radwanska, Urszula, 6-1,6-3 to book a last eight meeting with defending champion, Dominika Cibulkova. The Slovak has always troubled the Dane, but on this occasion the latter proved the strongest. Caroline recovered after a second set hiccup, to cruise through the decider and serve out a 6-2,6-7,6-1 victory. A similar story unfolded during her semifinal clash with Swede Sofia Arvidsson. Wozniacki won the opener and had opportunities to close out the match in two sets, but Arvidsson fought back to push a decider. After the duo exchanged several breaks, it was the former world number 1 who sealed the win and booked her spot in the final.
The final showdown with former US Open champion, Sam Stosur, was a great reflection of Caroline's recent rejuvenation. Having lost three of the five previous encounters with the Aussie, she hanged in tough after the loss of the second act, 'annoying' her opponent with her exquisite defensive skills. Serving to stay in the match at 5-6 in the decider, Stosur cracked under pressure allowing the Dane to break and run away with the title.
With two crowns in as many months and several wins against some of her toughest rivals, Wozniacki looks to have found the peace and inner stability that took to the top of the rankings two years ago. Her game is still lacking a vital weapon, but her consistency and excellent passive-aggressive display can challenge most of the top players. She is surely looking forward to starting anew in 2013, and most importantly to fulfilling her promise of regaining her top spot.
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| In a nail-bitting final in Moscow, Caroline Wozniacki edged Sam Stosur 6-2,4-6,7-5 to conquer her biggest title since winning New Haven in 2011. Having gone titleless for more than a year, the Dane turned her season around, collecting her second trophy in as many months. |
photos (top-down): Reuters, Kremlin Cup, AFP, GETTY IMAGES
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