It was a case of big versus small today or, to be precise, Dominika Cibulkova versus the Great Dane, Caroline Wozniacki. Standing just 161 cm, Cibulkova is the shortest player on the WTA tour but she packs a big punch as Wozniacki is well aware. Cibulkova was responsible for Wozniacki’s first-round demise in Sydney last week and was hoping to repeat the dose today, but it wasn’t to be, the top seed ultimately triumphing in straight sets, 6-4 6-3.
The pint-sized Slovakian showed her hand from the first game - attack at all costs. A risky game plan that would either win the match for her, as it did in Sydney, or lose it for her. By the end of the match, it was clear that the result was decided mostly on the Slovakian’s racquet. The 29th seed spanked 31 winners to the top seed’s 11, but this was more than undone by her unforced error count - 41 in total to the disciplined Wozniacki’s 11. It was Cibulkova who surprised her opponent with the first break of the match in just the third game. A mixture of aggression and luck - a net cord going the way of the challenger - and Cibulkova had the early lead.
But not for long. Wozniacki broke back in the next game and so started a game of cat and mouse with the next two games also breaks of serve. After four consecutive breaks it was Wozniacki who held first. Content to keep the ball in play and wait for her opponent to make the mistake, Wozniacki seemed as committed to her defensive game plan as Cibulkova was to her attacking play. Unfortunately for the aggressor, Cibulkova, too many misses at key moments brought her undone. In the 10th game, with Wozniacki leading 5-4, the Great Dane got the vital break and the first set 6-4.
Any thoughts of a change of plan from Cibulkova were cast aside when she continued to attack the lines in the second set. Wozniacki had a break point chance early, which was the result of some great court coverage from the Dane. Racing from side to side then into the net, Wozniacki then anticipated Cibulkova’s cross court passing attempt, gliding across the net and finishing the point with a backhand volley winner. The break didn’t come though - Cibulkova smacking another classy cross court forehand to keep games on serve. But the break did eventually come and it was the top seed who got it in the sixth game.
Cibulkova, who had rolled the dice so many times and come up with the winner, reached into her bag of tricks only to find that it was empty as she dragged a backhand wide to fall behind 4-2. Despite breaking back straight away, a second Wozniacki break of serve in the eighth game gave the Dane the opportunity to serve for the match. And after 91 minutes, Wozniacki dodged a potentially fatal bullet and progressed to the fourth round where Anastasija Sevastova is waiting.
And while Wozniacki spent most of the match counter-punching, when she arrived in the press room for her post-match press conference, she was well and truly on the front foot. In a move rarely seen from a tennis player, she opted to start the press conference herself after hearing that some members of the media find her press conferences “boring”. “You know, I find it quite, you know, funny because I always get the same questions. So I’m just going to start. I know what you’re going to ask me already. So I’m just going to start with the answer,” she told a room of bemused journalists.
Wozniacki went on to pre-empt, quite perceptively, the questions that would follow. On how she played: “I think I played a pretty good match. I am happy I got the revenge since I lost to her in Sydney last week. It was not an easy match. She went out there, she was really on fire.” On playing defensively: “I actually feel like I had to do that. I had to run a lot of balls down today because, I mean, she was playing really aggressively, trying to hit from the first point.”
On being No.1 but not winning a major to date: “I don’t feel any pressure to be No. 1. I really enjoy myself. I think I’ve had a great year and a great tournament so far. So I’m just happy to be in the next round, and hopefully I can pull a win through.” On her new racquet: “My racquet feels really good. I feel like the racquet is really helping me out.” Then the world No.1 opened up the floor to questions, and what followed was certainly not the more of the usual.
When are you going to get married and how many kids are you going to have? “First I have to find a guy.” What do you expect in a guy? “Honesty. Understanding what I’m doing. Maybe a sportsperson himself.” How much do you read about yourself in the media? “Honestly, I don’t really read about myself. I look at the pictures sometimes. Sometimes I’m looking at them and I’m thinking, They could choose some better ones.” Are you generally annoyed about the questions about being No.1? “You know, I got used to them. I feel like I deserve to be there. I’ve done so well last year, and hopefully I can continue my roll this year. I know that you guys have to write about something, and that’s a pretty good question to ask. But I think it’s time to move on and ask some other questions now.”
Words to live by for the next group of journalists who attend a Caroline Wozniacki press conference and, after today’s effort, my guess is that there will be quite a few.
