Caroline Wozniacki came into the match fresh off her first Top 10 win of the season and with an impressive record against her opponent Monica Niculescu, having won all of their six previous encounters.
Wozniacki had a very weak start into the match, making three unforced errors in the first game to lose her serve. In the next few games, she rose her level of play, moving her opponent around the court, playing aggressively and coming to the net. That was a successful strategy for Wozniacki, as she won the next four games to lead 4-1.
Niculescu would have had to take more risks if she wanted to come back into the match, as Wozniacki was playing great tennis. And that’s what the Romanian did, winning the next game. Wozniacki did not let that bother her, holding serve to lead 5-2. The Dane seemed a little bit tense and Niculescu took advantage of that, winning the game and staying alive in the set. Wozniacki seemed insecure in that game, but Niculescu made a few unforced errors and as a result, Wozniacki was able to win the set 6-3 after an 11 minute-long game.
Wozniacki started the second set very well, winning the first three games, reading Niculescu’s game better and better. At 3-0 in her favor and on her serve, Wozniacki missed the opportunity to close the game to advance to a 4-0 lead, letting Niculescu back into this second set with a 3-1 score. From then on, Wozniacki remained focused, dictating the game to secure a 5-1 lead, taking Niculescu’s serve to win the match 6-1 in the second set and advance to the round of 16.
In her post-match interview, Wozniacki was relieved to have won, as she is looking forward to playing additional matches after having had to stay away from the courts due to injuries.
