Caroline Wozniacki defeated Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 7-6 to win the Danish Open yesterday. Under pressure to win the event, which was being held for the first time, in front of an expectant home crowd, the top-seeded Wozniacki had wobbled as she advanced to the final, but needed just 78 minutes to claim her eighth WTA Tour title in straight sets at the Farum Arena.
Zakopalova had beaten the second-seeded Li Na of China in the semi-finals of the indoor hard court tournament, but was unable to upset Wozniacki. The world No 3 was thrilled with her victory, which is an encouraging return to form ahead of the US Open, which starts next month, and also shows she is back to full fitness after struggling with an ankle injury which caused her problems earlier in the summer.
"I think it is great for Danish tennis that this event happened, and it is just nice that so many people came here to support me," said the 20-year-old. "I have got a big stretch of tournaments coming up, but I felt like I needed a lot of matches - my ankle is no longer an issue and when I'm healthy I feel like I really want to play." She had not been at her best in the build-up to the final, but it was comfortable for the Dane in the final as she broke twice and held serve to take the first set.
Seventh-seeded Zakopalova did manage to break Wozniacki with the scores at 2-2 in the second, but the No 3-ranked player fought back to take the set to a tie-breaker, which she won on her fifth match point. Victory at the US$220,000 (Dh808,000) tournament gives Wozniacki her second title of the year. In May, she also won the Ponte Vedra Beach event. Meanwhile in other news, the men's world No 1 Rafael Nadal and No 2 Novak Djokovic will play doubles together at next week's Rogers Cup in Toronto - the first time the top two men in the rankings have partnered for tournament doubles since Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe did it in 1976.
Djokovic brought up the idea of a high-powered doubles team again recently. "Novak called Rafa a couple of weeks ago and reminded him," Benito Perez-Barbadillo, a representative for Nadal said. "Rafa liked the idea again and here they are." Neither has won a major championship in doubles. Nadal does have six career ATP doubles titles, including one at Indian Wells in March, while Djokovic's lone ATP doubles title came this year at Queen's Club in June, when he was partnered by Jonathan Erlich, the Israeli player.
* Agencies
