Caroline Wozniacki and Kristina Mladenovic oust former French Open slam champs
Caroline Wozniacki has equaled her best showing at the French Open since 2010 and is into the quarters with her three set win over Svetalana Kuznetsova 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. On the same day, France’s Kristina Mladenovic defeated reigning champ Garbine Muguruza 1-6, 6-3, 3-6.
There will be a new women’s champion this year at the French Open. There are two superstar players who emerged today as major trump cards in the tournament, Caroline Wozniacki, all but written off years ago after failing to capitalize on her top ranking by winning a grand slam title, and Kristina Mladenovic, who has been defeating top players all season long and is a WTA talent to watch. Both fought through three set matches to change things up at the French grand slam.
The Dane Wozniacki has a lot to prove in this second stage of her career. A star on the WTA circuit years ago, she rose to the top, but then petered out after two years holding the No. 1 ranking without a single grand slam to go along with it. She dropped in the rankings last year to No. 74, but has regained some of her momentum this year with significant wins at Dubai, Doha, Indian Wells, and Miami, making it to the quarters and finals of those tournaments. She’s climbed back up to No. 12. Can she break through this time to prove all the naysayers wrong and achieve that slam trophy? Her winning smile at the end of today’s victory says yes.
“Obviously it’s just kind of clicking this week,” Wozniacki said to reporters after the match. “Hopefully I can keep going this way. Now I just try and stay focused and keep my head down.”
She also made it clear what the second wind of her career is all about.
“Winning a Grand Slam is the only thing left on my resume, and that’s what I’m working for,” Wozniacki stated.
A few rankings behind her is Kristina Mladenovic, who rode the partisan wave of the crowds to help motivate her win over last year’s champion, Spain’s Garbine Muguruza, who understandably did not appreciate the spectators’ obvious show of support:
Defending champ Muguruza falls, and admonishes the pro-Kiki crowd on her way to the locker room. #RG17 pic.twitter.com/CzxzPVoPvu
— Chris Oddo (@TheFanChild) June 4, 2017
The Spaniard only found her groove in the second set, but did not play the aggressive style that allowed her to storm to the title last year. Disappointed to go out before the quarters, she walked off the court upset, amid boos from the crowd.
France’s Mladenovic has had a lot of momentum about her during the clay season, making it to the finals at both Stuttgart and Madrid, and the semis at Indian Wells. She started out the year ranked at No. 45, but now sits outside the Top 10 at No. 14.“Kiki” is one of those players who flies under the radar but who could very well waltz right into the finals, along a crest of partisan crowd cheerleading at every match. If she does make it there and win, she will be the first Frenchwoman to achieve the championship since Mary Pierce in 2000.