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Stosur stuns wonderkid Wozniacki


A lot can change in 24 hours, as Danish teenager sensation Caroline Wozniacki found out to her cost on Thursday.

A day earlier the 17-year-old Dane, Caroline Wozniacki, recorded the best result of her career, beating world No.4 Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets to move into the last eight of the International Womens Open in Eastbourne, England.

But a day later, Caroline Wozniacki is packing her bags after going down 7-6(3), 6-4 to Sam Stosur, the Aussie who is on the comeback trail after a serious illness.

The result at Eastbournes Devonshire Park puts Stosur into the last four against fifth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova, who beat compatriot Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-3 in the second match of the day.

Once again, the swirling Eastbourne wind played its part, but Stosur kept her composure and used her experience to get the better of the conditions.

“You just cope with it the best you can,” said Stosur, who returned to tennis in April after an eight-month lay-off due to viral meningitis and Lyme’s disease. “You have to stay positive and try to hit more winning shots than your opponent.

“I’m really happy to be in the semis. I played serve and volley and it worked well. I think you really have to do that on grass.”

In the bottom half, second seed Marion Bartoli from France and Russian qualifier Alisa Kleybanova were due to clash for a place in the semi-finals.

The winner will face either fourth-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska or Argentine Gisela Dulko for a place in the final.

In the East Midlands, Gael Monfils and Ivo Karlovic booked their places in the semi-finals of the Slazenger Open in Nottingham.

French Open semi-finalist Monfils got past American Vince Spadea 7-6, 6-2 to confirm a date on Friday with defending champion Karlovic, who outlasted Italian Andreas Seppi 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

In the bottom half, the semi-finalists will come from the matches between French fifth seed Gilles Simon and Spanish third seed Fernando Verdasco, and Swedish veteran Thomas Johansson and young Croat Marin Cilic.

In Holland, the mens and womens semi-final line-ups are taking shape at the grass court Ordina Open.

In the mens draw, Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and Frenchman Marc Gicquel are through to the last four.

Del Potro will play either top seed David Ferrer from Spain or sixth-seeded Croat Mario Ancic for a place in the final, while Gicquel will face off with Argentine Guillermo Canas or Serb qualifier Viktor Troicki.

Del Potro advanced with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 success over Arnaud Clement from France, while Gicquel was too good for Austrian Jurgen Melzer during his 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Russian top seed Elena Dementieva booked her semi-final spot with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Romanias Sorana Cirstea. She will next take on French Open runner-up and the women that beat her at Roland Garros Dinara Safina.

In the bottom half, surprise semi-finalist Tamarine Tanasugarn from Thailand will battle either the Ukraines Alona Bondarenko or second seed Anna Chakvetadze from Russia.

Tanasugarn won her quarter-final early on Thursday courtesy of a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 result against home hope Michaella Krajicek.


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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.