Dubai: Former champion Caroline Wozniacki battled a viral bug before securing a 6-4, 6-0 win over last year’s runner-up Alize Cornet in the late night match on the fourth day of Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open on Wednesday.
On a day that earlier claimed two of the top four seeds and three past champions, it was Wozniacki and Simona Halep who managed to stem the rot while booking their places in the quarter-finals.
Halep worked her way out with a gutsy 6-4, 6-3 win over Bulgarian opponent Ysvetana Pironkova, while Wozniacki battled the flu and her French opponent 6-4, 6-0 in the last match of the night.
Halep will now take on Ekaterina Makarova, while Wozniacki is expecting a tough and long meeting with Flavia Pennetta. “I came in today expecting long rallies, but I had come with a game-plan. I know Flavia’s game well and for sure there will be a lot of long rallies,” Wozniacki told media.
The former world number one has been battling a flu since she landed here earlier this week. So she was only pleased to get away with a second win in Dubai this week. “It was nice to get the win. I started off a little bit tough, but got the win in the end and was happy to finish it off in two sets,” she said.
The rest, however, has not made too much difference. Wozniacki spent nearly the entire day resting in the hotel, waking up just in time for breakfast and lunch and then for a quick shower before heading to the practice court for a 20-minute warm-up before her match. “Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better after I have had a full day’s sleep. And since tomorrow I will be out late on court, I can sleep in again tomorrow,” she added.
The lower half of the draw will have a Spaniard and a Czech girl in the semi-finals. Lucie Safarova will take on team-mate Karolina Pliskova, while Carla Suarez Navarro will face fellow Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.
Action gets under way at the Dubai Tennis Stadium at 2pm with the centre court hosting the singles and the doubles quarter-finals on Court 1.
Order of Play (Thursday)
Centre Court (Start at 2pm) Lucie Safarova vs Karolina Pliskova; Garbine Muguruza vs Carla Suarez Navarro. (Start at 7pm) Simona Halep vs Ekaterina Makarova; Alize Cornet OR Caroline Wozniacki vs Flavia Pennetta.
Court 1 (Start at 2pm) Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic vs Monica Niculescu/Alexandra Panova; Alla Kudryavtseva/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova; (Start at 6pm) Anastasia Rodionova/Arina Rodionova vs Garbine Muguruza/Carla Suarez Navarro; Caroline Garcia/Katarina Srebotnik vs Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina.
