Australia Open tennis: Caroline Wozniacki cruises into quarterfinals
Caroline Wozniacki made it through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open tennis by beating Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets.
Caroline Wozniacki reached her first Australian Open tennis quarterfinal since 2012 with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Magdalena Rybarikova.
The second seed, who saved two match points in the second round, was relatively comfortable on Rod Laver Arena Sunday.
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Wozniacki was far too good for 19th seed Rybarikova, easing to victory in just 63 minutes.
The result moved the Danish star into a 10th grand-slam quarter-final and third in Melbourne.
Awaiting her in the last eight is Carla Suarez Navarro, who battled past Anett Kontaveit in their fourth-round clash.
Wozniacki fell behind an early break against Rybarikova as the Slovakian tried to unsettle her opponent with her slice.
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But after Wozniacki – who also produced a tweener but lost the point – won a marathon fourth game to level, she eased through the first set and made a strong start to the second.
Rybarikova had no answers, winning just six points in the second set as Wozniacki cruised into the quarter-finals.
Suarez Navarro shines
Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro became the first player through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open as she dug herself out of a hole to beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit 4-6 6-4 8-6.
Kontaveit was bidding to reach the last eight of a grand slam for the first time and the 22-year-old had victory in her grasp when she took the first set and broke twice to lead 4-1 in the second set on a muggy day alongside the Yarra river.
Unseeded Suarez Navarro was given heart when Kontaveit double-faulted to hand one break of serve back and the 29-year-old stormed back to take the second set.
The deciding set was a real battle and Kontaveit again looked like closing it out when she broke at 4-4 but she faltered and was broken as she served for the match.
Suarez Navarro enjoyed an outrageous slice of luck when Kontaveit served to stay in the match at 6-7, striking a forehand that hit the net tape twice before wobbling over to give her a second match point.
She missed that one but on her third opportunity Kontaveit smacked a forehand long to send Suarez Navarro into the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for the third time.