New York : Tenth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki defeated number five seed Maria Sharapova 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to book a last-eight berth at the US Open here.
Sharapova was considered as one of the biggest favourites to win the title, especially after three of the top five seeds had already been eliminated in the first three rounds, reports Xinhua.
However, the former World No.1 Wozniacki, holding a remarkable 16-3 record after Wimbledon, refused to think that way.
Sharapova made 21 unforced errors in the first set, allowing the 24-year-old Dane to finish the set 6-4. The second set went in favour of the Russian. The holder of five Grand Slam titles hit 22 winners to take one set back with 6-2.
Wozniacki seemed rejuvenated in the third set, breaking twice to seal the victory.
“I’m serving well, I’m running well, I’m staying aggressive when I have to, and I make the right decisions at the right moment,” said Wozniacki about her match.
“And I enjoy playing.”
“It was quite a long match,” said Sharapova. “I thought she played really well. She made me hit a lot of balls. That’s always been her strength. But she did extremely well.”
Wozniacki will next face Sara Errani in the quarterfinal.