After impressing in her first event back in Montreal, Caroline Wozniacki was rather disappointed at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters, losing to a lucky loser.
Varvara Gracheva is far more than just a lucky loser because she's a pretty solid player however, people simply expected more from Wozniacki in the match at the WTA 1000 event. It simply looked like she couldn't do much against Gracheva, who was pretty aggressive from the start. Initially, Wozniacki was set to play Svitolina, but she withdrew before the match.
The French player didn't waste any time and attacked her opponent rather quickly in rallies. She had great success with it and hit plenty of winners, and Wozniacki couldn't quite handle it. The Dane had moments and chances, but she was simply overwhelmed.
She also looked a bit tired, which kind of makes sense as she admitted to fatigue after the Montreal exit as well. It will probably take weeks and multiple events for her to build up that stamina, especially after playing back-to-back weeks.
There was simply a lack of power in her game which allowed Gracheva to easily outhit her in most rallies. As the match went on, Wozniacki tried a few different things, including hitting the ball harder, which proved-semi successful.
Another major problem for her was the inability to generate much pressure on her opponent's 1st serve. It was particularly evident in the opening set. When she did get the occasional chance she didn't use them and it was just a combination of things simply not going her way at all.
Gracheva was very solid and better when she needed to be which proved enough for the victory. The final score was 6-4 6-4 for the French player, who will face Daria Kasatkina in the next round of the event. As for Wozniacki, she'll turn her attention to the US Open, where she hopes to do well. It's always been her plan to peak at the event.
0 Comments