Miami Open: Wozniacki halts Sasnovich in straight sets

Aliaksandra Sasnovich was a tough competitor for Caroline Wozniacki but not enough to advance to the next round at the Miami Open on Friday. The former World number battled hard to win in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 on court one at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Both have met twice before this encounter on hard courts, with Wozniacki winning both times. While their last meeting spanned three sets, the world number 13 was given another tough game despite what the scoreline suggests. It took her time to get into the groove as the Belorussian was coming off a hard-fought win in the previous round.

Sasnovich earned an early advantage as she managed to break Wozniacki before being broken back in the second game. They changed momentum and each held serve to remain deadlocked and back in control. Wozniacki gave herself the opportunity to break first before being broken back in what was becoming a pattern of tennis. The Dane was done with that as she held serve in the seventh before consolidating it with a break to serve for the set.

Sasnovich denied her that chance by earning a key break, that gave her a chance to extend the game. Knowing that she couldn’t let the Belorussian go deep at any point of the match, Wozniacki battled back from 15-40 to create breakpoints and force deuce. She killed off an advantage point for the Belorussian, before getting her own to win the first set in 47 minutes. With the ten games that each played in the first set, it was clear that while Wozniacki came out victorious, she didn’t have the dominating offense to get the job done easily

Wozniacki opened the throttle in the second set and took Sasnovich for two games allowing her a point in each one. However, she responded by breaking back and then launched a break at love to equal the score. Wozniacki broke back to regain the lead but understood what it was going to take to try and win in straight sets. Sasnovich kept Wozniacki in reach through the set but the Dane stayed in front with two more games needed.

She reached 5-3 with a fight on deuce, that went three breaks before Wozniacki could clinch the win. Sasnovich was not ready to give up and etched out another break of the Dane to keep the contest alive. Wozniacki wasn’t in the mood to lose her advantage and delivered a full-court press, that gave the 28-year-old a break at love to emerge victorious in 1 hour and 33 minutes