Zvonareva tops Wozniacki in Hong Kong
By MIN LEE
HONG KONG (AP)—Vera Zvonareva topped Caroline Wozniacki 6-1, 6-0 in 58 minutes at the Hong Kong Classic exhibition tournament on Saturday, winning a matchup of the world’s top two female players ahead of the Australian Open.
The second-ranked Russian broke in the first and fifth games to go up 4-1. Wozniacki saved a set point at 5-1 but missed a forehand to give her opponent the set.
The Danish world No. 1 had two break points in the first game of the second set but couldn’t convert either, and then the momentum shifted to Zvonareva, who took the match on her second match point.
Zvonareva dictated play throughout, striking winners at will and showing impressive control at the net. The 26-year-old Russian finished with 23 winners compared to Wozniacki’s seven.
For Zvonareva, the win was a confidence-booster as she looks to win her first major in Melbourne after consecutive finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year. The Australian Open starts on Jan. 17. In her earlier match in Hong Kong, Zvonareva beat seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams—also in straight sets.
“I will probably never say I played perfect. I will always find something that wasn’t working because I always want to improve … but definitely, I played a very good match,” Zvonareva said. “I was dominating the match and didn’t let her find her rhythm today.”
Wozniacki leads their head-to-head meetings 4-3 and beat Zvonareva in their two previous meetings on the WTA tour.
The 20-year-old Dane, who took over the top spot from an injured Serena Williams in October, is also seeking her first major after reaching the 2009 U.S. Open final. Wozniacki said she wasn’t too worried about her one-sided loss on Saturday.
“Vera played very well today. I definitely didn’t play up to my level. I had some good shots then I had some really bad shots and some wrong selection of shots. But it’s OK. I just need to learn from this one,” Wozniacki said. “It was a practice match for me. I just need to learn. There is still a few days until the Australian Open. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully I’ll peak my form when I get there.”