An underwhelming display from Caroline Wozniacki saw her become the latest big name casualty in Linz, as she lost to Kirsten Flipkens, 6-4, 6-4. Flipkens is ranked outside the Top 100.
Flipkens broke to fifteen in the first service game, held comfortably herself, and then set to work again against a clearly out of sorts of Wozniacki. The former world no.1 was forced to volley to save a break point in game three again, before Flipkens errors got her out of trouble. Flipkens, though now ranked outside the Top 100, is a recognisable name, as she was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2013.
The issues continued in game four, as Flipkens continued to create break chances. Wozniacki was struggling to drive her serve, with her long standing knee perhaps giving her pain. Flipkens was teeing off on the Wozniacki serve, hitting three service return winners on deuce points. Flipkens missed six break points in trying to secure the double advantage. The seventh though brought the cushion for Flipkens, with a Wozniacki backhand missing well long.
Flipkens then was forced to save five break points as the Belgian fought to secure the advantage. Wozniacki though, did manage to take the sixth, finding a terrific pass to redeem one break. The Dane then fought to hold to deuce in the next game. Flipkens was forced to hold to deuce to maintain what was now a single break lead.
She was forced hard to take the set too, as Woznaicki engineered a break point, only to see her backhand return sail into the tramlines. On set point Flipkens retrieved a huge forehand, and a backhand pass left the ball sitting for the Belgian, who then crushed it for the first set.
Flipkens then broke in the first game of the second set, breaking after a drop shot and a passing shot from a poor Wozniacki approach. She then continuously employed the drop shot, noting the obvious discomfort that Wozniacki was in.
Wozniacki finally broke the Flipkens serve in game six, getting the deuce by elongating the points, and chasing down the now easily-read Flipkens drop-shots. But Flipkens then forced yet more trouble, winning a long rally of her own and attacking more strongly to create two break points. Wozniacki saved the first when Flipkens failed to find a passing shot. The second the Belgian took though, a strong pass was only left sitting up by the Woznaicki volley, and Flipkens crushed the ball for the break.
She held to deuce, with the drop-shot again well-timed in causing issues for Wozniacki. The Dane held to thirty, leaving Flipkens to try and serve out the match. She did serve out, with Wozniacki missing a final volley, to give Flipkens a huge upset win.
Flipkens will now face the the winner of Barbora Strycova and Denisa Allertova. Strycova is now the second highest seed, at eight, left in the draw after Wozniacki’s defeat. The defeat meanwhile, puts a severe dent in Wozniacki’s hopes of qualifying for Singapore.
Flipkens on her win: “I think tactically I played perfect… before coming into this tournament I didn’t expect anything I got into the main draw at the last minute… if you beat Wozniacki you are playing good tennis“.
