WHAT HAPPENED: No. 19 seed Caroline Wozniacki eked out a tough three-set win in the first round of the 2019 US Open on Tuesday, battling back against Yafan Wang to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Wang, the world No. 50, couldn’t have imagined a better first frame, rolling through the former world No. 1 by hitting blistering baseline strokes combined with scrappy defense to stun the two-time US Open finalist and go up 4-0 almost as soon as they took the court.
On a rare break chance down 0-4, Wozniacki hit what would have been three winners against some opponents, moving Wang side-to-side to no avail. Still, Wozniacki managed to avoid the bagel with a strong service game before Wang finished off the set with a backhand winner up the line.
Wozniacki, to her credit, responded quickly in the second set as Wang’s level dropped slightly, going up 4-1. But Wang would battle, rattling off two games while showing her first set form. Serving at 3-4, Wozniacki hit a perfectly placed drop shot, only to see Wang track it down and crisply hit a volley winner. On her first game point, Wang stretched Wozniacki and then put away the reply to even the set.
At 4-4 deuce, Wozniacki stretched Wang out wide and belted a forehand up the line for a winner before closing out the game.
The pair both held serve and Wang served to stay in the set at 5-6. She showed her first set of nerves as Wozniacki bolted to a 0-40 lead and Wang sent a rare backhand error long to even the match at one set apiece.
The high-quality play continued into the third set. Wozniacki had an early opening at 1-2, 0-30. Wang followed with two clutch plays, on the first point, creeping forward to knock off a volley winner and on the second, belting a baseline winner after a weak Wozniacki returned to even the game. She held on.
The pair continued to push each other around the court, both showing off their speed and ability. Strong all-court play earned Wozniacki a break point at 2-3, but Wang quickly recovered after a tight Wozniacki backhand sailed long and Wang finished off the game with consistent baseline play. A tight game from Wozniacki—including a relatively easy backhand that she netted at 15-30—gave Wang two vital break chances. But Wozniacki didn’t yield, scrambling to gain the advantage from the baseline and using two big serves to keep the set on serve.
The moment finally got too big for Wang in the next game. She quickly fell behind 0-40 and double faulted to give Wozniacki a chance to serve out the set and the match—an improbable feat, considering what had occurred an hour earlier in the first set.
Wozniacki was crisp in her last game at 5-3, taking a 40-0 lead before Wang netted a forehand to hand a relieved Wozniacki the match.
WHAT IT MEANS: The 25-year-old Wang gave Wozniacki, a former world No. 1 who has been consistent at the US Open, all she could handle. The two-time US Open finalist has often done well in New York since her first main draw event in 2007. She’s reached three semifinals and two finals, her most recent best finish coming in a 2016 semifinal loss to Angelique Kerber. She’ll look to continue her run against American Danielle Collins in Round 2.
MATCH POINT: Wozniacki’s lone Grand Slam title came on hard court at last year’s Australian Open.
