Auckland, New Zealand (SportsNetwork.com) – Caroline Wozniacki and Venus
Williams were quarterfinal winners Thursday at the ASB Classic and are each a
win away from meeting in the final of the season-opening event.
The top-seeded Wozniacki claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Germany’s Julia
Goerges, while the third-seeded Williams earned a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over
Russian veteran Elena Vesnina.
Wozniacki had lost three of her previous four matches against Goerges, but
four breaks of serve allowed the former world No. 1 to advance. Next up for
the Dane will be fourth-seeded Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who won the
final five games of her quarterfinal against American CoCo Vandeweghe to pull
out a 6-4, 7-5 decision. Vandeweghe, the seventh seed, won just three points
over the last five games.
Williams had to rally in the second set against Vesnina, who had beaten the
American star in two of their last three meetings. The seven-time Grand Slam
champion was down 2-4 in the second set, but won the final four games.
Next up for Williams be fellow American Lauren Davis, who rebounded from a set
down to notch a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Polish qualifier Urszula Radwanska.
