Wimbledon 2019: Wozniacki earns sudden victory in opening round
Caroline Wozniacki got a quick pass to the second round at the Championships Wimbledon Monday evening. A shoulder injury for Sara Sorribes Tormo was too much to deal with against the former world number one on Court two as she retired from action in a 5-4 defeat at the All England Club.
The Dane scored two wins last week ending a four-match slide that took her out of competing on the clay courts. With her wedding in her rearview mirror, the former world number one was back in action warmed up to be prepared for her 13th entrance into the main draw. She faced the Spaniard for the first time hoping to make the second round for a second try. Two wins at Mallorca had her in gear for the slam but facing an improved 28-year-old would make the climb for control harder.
Neither one showed any true energy going into the first game that went to deuce on the racket of Sorribes-Tormo. The forehand of Wozniacki’s let her down to continue a long drawn out game that spanned into its seventh deuce. After 12 minutes, the Spaniard managed to get the ball into court to secure the break. What began to occur troubled the Wozniacki camp as the Spaniard focused on the weak points of the Dane to secure her service and gain the double break.
Wozniacki attempted the capitalize on a second try but errors on the return gave Sorribes-Tormo time to regroup and get back on track. The Spaniard had an important 4-0 rout on the former world number one but the breeze was ready to change as the 28-year-old upped the ante. A solid service game in the fifth saw her win giving Sorribes-Tormo only a point and followed it up with a break in the sixth. A third win gave the indication of her comeback playing a tight contest that spanned four breaks where she denied Sorribes-Tormo three break opportunities.
A key break levelled the score for Wozniacki after the eighth when Sorribes-Tormo showed signs of her shoulder problem becoming an issue again. She called for the trainer but before she could get it checked out allowed Wozniacki to gain a fifth straight. When the physio arrived on court, the Spaniard left the court taking away the momentum of the Dane who had to sit and wait.
When the medical timeout concluded, the Dane put the pedal to the metal and opened up three set points before Sorribes-Tormo suddenly called it quits. The Spaniard took off her wrist band and came to the net to shake hands with Wozniacki who had earned a quick victory that went one hour and two minutes.
With time to recover before her second rounder on Wednesday, she’ll look to face Veronika Kudermetova next in what will be the same level she faced in the first round.