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Friendship aside, battle for final spot on
NEW YORK: Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber are joined by friendship, Polish roots and cosy coffee chats, but on Thursday they’ll be ruthless in pursuit of
NEW YORK: Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber are joined by friendship, Polish roots and cosy coffee chats, but on Thursday they’ll be ruthless in pursuit of a place in the US Open final.
It’s an intriguing semi-final clash between a former world No 1 who has never won a Grand Slam title and the current No 2 who claimed a first major at the Australian Open in January.
Wozniacki, Kerber as well as sisters Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska have all grown up on the tour, all boasting Polish blood. The Radwanskas are Polish-born. Kerber has a Polish father and German mother.
Piotr and Anna Wozniacki left Poland to settle in Denmark when he secured a professional football contract with top Danish side Odense. Caroline was born in the city in 1990.
The four players’ Polish bond is evident in holiday photos and they remain as close as they can be in the cut-throat environment of professional tennis.
“I think the great thing about our little group is that we have hung out for years and it doesn’t matter who is No. 1 or who is lower ranked, we always have our little clique. We chat and have a laugh.”
Kerber leads Wozniacki 7-5 in career meetings but they have never met at a Slam. If the German prevails on Thursday and goes on to dethrone Williams as world No 1, Wozniacki will be one of the first to congratulate her coffee club friend.
