Caroline Wozniacki, Roberta Vinci Storm Into Fourth Round
Former runners-up Caroline Wozniacki and Roberta Vinci reached the US
Open last-16 on Friday.
Wozniacki, who knocked out ninth-seeded former champion Svetlana
Kuznetsova in the second round, clinched a seventh win in seven meetings
over unorthodox Monica Niculescu of Romania. The Dane's 6-3, 6-1 victory
on Arthur Ashe Stadium, which featured eight breaks of serve, was
another noise-affected affair.

Caroline Wozniacki defeated Monica Niculescu in straight
sets 6-3, 6-1. |
But instead of a din caused by chattering fans or rain on the roof,
this time it concerned Wozniacki complaining that her opponent was
making too much noise every time she employed her bizarre forehand
slice.
The former world number one's complaints helped extend the crucial
ninth game of the opening set to 12 minutes.
"It's fun but also frustrating," said 2009 and 2014 runner-up
Wozniacki of her opponent's unusual style. "She makes you feel as if you
can't play tennis. You have to grind it out; it's not pretty but you get
a good workout as you have to run a lot."
Wozniacki, whose ranking has slipped to 74 after a long absence to
fight an ankle injury, goes on to face either US eighth seed Madison
Keys or Naomi Osaka of Japan for a quarter-final slot.
Vinci, the Italian seventh seed and runner-up to compatriot Flavia
Pennetta in 2015, overcame a second set blip to defeat 21-year-old
Carina Witthoeft 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.
The 33-year-old Vinci led 5-4, 30-0 in the second set before her
84th-ranked German opponent dug deep to take the tie into a decider.
But Vinci prevailed on the back of 40 winners and will meet either
Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova or Lesia Tsurenko of the Ukraine for a
quarter-finl place.
"I got nervous when I served for the match, it was very dangerous,"
said the Italian who stunned Serena Williams in the semi-finals 12
months ago.
"But I just told myself 'let's start again, don't think about the
second set.'"
Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova backed up her shock win over third seed
and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza by making the last 16 for the
first time with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kateryna Bonaderenko of the Ukraine.
World number 48 Sevastova, who briefly retired from the sport in
2013, has matched her best run at a Slam -- a fourth round spot at the
Australian Open in 2011.
- NDTV
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