Wozniacki suffers Miami upset from smart Petkovic



MIAMI // Caroline Wozniacki, the world No 1, suffered a surprise fourth-round defeat by Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the Sony Ericsson Open, falling victim to a smart strategy from her lower-ranked opponent.

Petkovic, ranked 23rd, played positive attacking tennis in the Florida sunshine at Key Biscayne to move into the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory over the Dane.

Petkovic saved 12 of 17 break points against Wozniacki but the foundations of her success were an aggressive serve and subtle variations in her game.

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More

Sharapova's return can only be good for WTA
American nightmare continues for tennis fans as Roddick exits in Florida
Caroline Wozniacki: I deserve to be No 1

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She resisted the temptation to try and slug it out with Wozniacki, opting instead to mix up her shots and employ a range of different speeds, then celebrating her victory with a jig she has dubbed the 'Petko dance'.

"Most of the players think they can overpower Caroline. I think that's the wrong approach, because that's where she's most comfortable, when she can run and bring the most balls back," Petkovic told reporters.

"What I try to do is mix it up and to make her play, and then when I had the short ball to go for it."

Wozniacki lost the opening set after squandering three set points and later said she had only herself to blame.

"I had so many chances in my first set ... Then, just the energy level dropped a little bit and I lost the match. That's what happens in sport," she said.

Russian Maria Sharapova, still working her way back from injury, eased past the Australian Samantha Stosur, ranked fifth in the world, winning 6-4, 6-1. Sharapova, currently ranked 16th, has never been beaten by Stosur in seven meetings.

The Second seed Kim Clijsters's match with Serbian Ana Ivanovic was postponed due to heavy rain.

Florida: The critical Sunshine State

Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991. 

Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.

In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.

The squad traveling to Brazil:

Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.

RESULT

Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')

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The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

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Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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