ZCZC
BSP-14
TENNIS-OPEN-AUS-WOZNIACKI
Tennis: There’s no extra pressure, says ‘improved’ Wozniacki
MELBOURNE, Jan 13, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A confident Caroline Wozniacki
declared Saturday she was in the form of her life as she targets a first
Grand Slam title when the Australian Open begins next week.
The Dane first rose to world number one eight years ago and is back riding
high at number two after a 2017 season in which she reached eight finals and
won the season-ending Tour Championship.
“I think I’ve improved everything (since first becoming number one),”
Wozniacki said at Melbourne Park.
“I think nothing very drastic, but at the same time it’s small improvements
all the time. That’s also what makes tennis fun. You’re never perfect.
There’s always things you can work on.”
And she claimed she felt no extra pressure to win a first Grand Slam,
despite rising expectations with defending champion Serena Williams ruled out
after the birth of her first child.
“I don’t put more, I don’t put less pressure. It’s just the same, you know.
It’s a new tournament, a new year.
“I’m healthy. I have the opportunity to play here. I’m just going to enjoy
that, see where it takes me.”
“I never look at the draw. There’s always so many great players in the
draw. For me, it’s all about just focusing on myself, taking it one match at
a time.
“I only know my first-round opponent, and that’s how I like it, how I like
to keep it. Then we focus from there.”
Wozniacki, 27, lost in the weather-disrupted Auckland Classic final a week
ago to Germany’s Julia Goerges, after playing three matches in two days, but
said she felt great on the eve of the season’s first Grand Slam.
“It was a lot of sets in one day at one point because we got rained out two
days in a row. I’m not going to lie — first tournament back, two matches (in
a row) … I feel it. I’m not 17 any more.
“But I think it was great just for the confidence, just to get the rust
off. It was a good start to the year.”
Wozniacki faces Romania’s world number 57 Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first
round.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1105 hrs