• Wimbledon, Day Five

Wozniacki impresses with win over Razzano

ESPN staff
June 24, 2011

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The Williams sisters may be commanding the headlines, but No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki threw down a marker to the Americans with an imposing success over Virginie Razzano to breeze into the third round of Wimbledon.

Wozniacki has flattered to deceive at the majors and is in danger of being weighed down by failing to win a slam, but she looks well set to make a challenge for the title judged on her 6-1 6-3 success.

Razzano came out with a spring in her step and some big hitting from the back of the court ensured she held serve in the first game. But that was pretty much as good as it got for the Frenchwoman.

Wozniacki may have had an unorthodox preparation for Wimbledon, playing just one warm-up event on grass, but she seems to be warming to the surrounds of SW19 as she overwhelmed Razzano.

The world No. 1 hit the ball crisply from the back of the court on both wings and was not afraid to step forward and venture to the net.

Wozniacki broke in the third game, backed it up with a love service hold and with Razzano unable to counter the excellent length and placement, the Dane broke again to lead 4-1.

Razzano attempted to hit her way back into the match, but Wozniacki soaked up the pressure with her speed around the court and worked a set point when retrieving a backhand she had no right to reach. And the set was sealed when a punishing return coughed up an error from Razzano.

Razzano has much more than tennis on her mind, her fiancé died last month following a long battle with a brain tumour, and her play faltered in the second set - a string of errors leading to an early break for the Dane.

But even had the errors not flown from her racket, it would have been tough for Razzano to compete such was the quality of Wozniacki. The Dane made just one unforced error in the match and closed out victory in a shade over an hour. With Wozniacki due back on court on Saturday, it was the ideal preparation.

Venus Williams eased to victory in an hour © Getty Images
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Venus Williams blazed into the fourth round with a straight-sets victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. The No. 23 seed, who needed nearly three hours to scrape past veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm on Wednesday, needed just 61 minutes to wrap up a 6-0 6-2 victory.

The five-time Wimbledon champion was ruthlessly efficient as she ripped through the opening set, and although the Spaniard put up more of a fight in the second, the American eased to a comfortable win.

Williams will now face Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova, a surprise semi-finalist at the All England Club last year. Pironkova, who upset Williams in last year's quarter-finals, produced another upset to send second seed and last year's finalist Vera Zvonareva crashing out with a 6-2 6-3 victory.

Zvonareva was not the only seed to tumble on Friday, with No. 11 seed Andrea Petkovic crashing out to Russian world No. 89 Ksenia Pervak 6-4 7-6(2). Twelfth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova won the opening set against No. 19 seed Yanina Wickmayer, but the Belgian battled back to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

Wickmayer will meet last year's semi-finalist Petra Kvitova in the fourth round after the Czech left-hander booked her place in the last 16 with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Italy's Roberta Vinci, while 2007 finalist Marion Bartoli survived a scare to reach the third round with a 4-6 7-5 6-2 win over Lourdes Dominguez Lino.

Elsewhere, former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone will have to return on Saturday after rain interrupted her match with Austrian Tamira Paszek with the score poised at 3-6 6-4 3-2.

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