Martina: Watch Wozniacki go (From The Argus)

Martina: Watch Wozniacki go

8:30am Thursday 18th June 2009 in Sport By Steve Hollis

Caroline Wozniacki could be the player to beat at Wimbledon next week, according to none other than Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova has tipped the Williams sisters to dominate the championships again this year but picked out Wozniacki as a potential dark horse for the coveted title.

That is high praise indeed from someone who has won at SW19 nine times, as well as ten times at Devonshire Park, and the 18-year-old Danish sensation proved she has the temperament to prosper on grass after surviving a day of upsets at the AEGON International yesterday.

Wozniacki gained revenge for her third round defeat at the hands of Sam Stosur 12 months ago by beating the Australian world No. 18 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 on centre court.

With top seed Elena Dementieva joining the list of high profile casualties late yesterday evening it confirmed Wozniacki as favourite to lift the title at Devonshire Park come Saturday.

That would be the perfect prelude to her Wimbledon campaign but Wozniacki insists she does not want to get carried away with the hype that is starting to build up around her.

She said: “I am really looking forward to Wimbledon but I don't want to look too far ahead. I am just taking it a game at a time at the moment and hoping to go as far as I can at Eastbourne.

“The Williams sisters are always very difficult to beat on grass but I think the championships are very open this year. There are always favourites but other players also believe they have a chance and I am one of them.”

Stosur came into Eastbourne full of confidence following her run to the semi-finals at the French Open but was outplayed by the world No.8.

The Australian struggled to handle Wozniacki’s serve in the first set but dug in well to break in the 12th game of the second to set up a decider.

Wozniacki kept her nerve though and broke twice to clinch victory and set up a meeting with Russian qualifier Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals.

Wozniacki added: “I served really well and got a break early in the first set which gave me the belief I could win the match.

“I know Ekaterina well as we grew up player against each other in the juniors. She is good on grass and I will have to play well to beat her.”

Makarova will be no pushover after she won an epic battle against former world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo on court one.

Mauresmo squandered six set points in the first set tie break and then another three in the second set tie break after she had let a 4-0 lead slip.

The world No. 17 said: “It was a very cruel match to lose. I had so many opportunities in both sets but I suppose this one was not for me.

“I don’t have any explanations. I was not able to play the right shots at the right time and she was just that bit better than me.”

Wozniacki is one of only two seeds left in the women’s draw following Dementieva’s shock defeat to Virginie Razzano.

The world No.4 lost the first set 6-0 but won the second 6-3 before losing a tie break in the gloom on centre court.

Dementieva said: “It was very close but she played really well, especially in the first set. I put her under pressure in the second set and had a good feeling but I just couldn’t finish the match.”

Razzano will now play defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, the only other seed left in the draw, in the quarter-finals.

Radwanska was leading 3-1 in the first set against Na Li when the Chinese world No. 19 retired with an abdominal injury.

Last year’s runner-up, Nadia Petrova, was another seed to fall as she retired with a back injury after taking the first set 7-5 against Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina.

Meanwhile Marion Bartoli overcame Anna Chakvetadze 7-5, 6-3.