Wozniacki weathers Sabine storm

The first Tuesday and Hisense Arena's first match promised a closer encounter than 24 hours before with former world ranked number one Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark facing Germany's powerful Sabine Lisicki. Caro is seeded 10 this year as opposed to top of the draw in 2012 and carries a whole lot less pressure into the tournament. Unfairly maligned by many self righteous critics for reaching the number one ranking without winning a major - she didn't event the points system, she only gathered the points, Wozniacki could have a year where reentry to the top few is possible. Meeting Sabine in the first round wasn't a planned stepping stone for that goal. Injury stopped a possible ascension by the German player into the top ten - she had fulfilled much of her plentiful potential in 2011 at Wimbledon by reaching the semi finals and last year defeating Maria Sharapova to make the quarters at the same event. Now ranked low enough to not earn a seeding she enters Melbourne Park as a dangerous first round opponent and Caroline drew the short straw.
Sabine is one of the first players I would pick to watch. Her best shots are classic and she possesses a wonderful serve when it's on. Caroline is one of the smartest exponents of the game, using her guile to mitigate the power of the stronger players.

Sabine opened well receiving the Danish serve. By hitting the eyes out of 2 backhands for winners she set up break points, one saved by a Wozniacki ace, the other not able to be saved due to another wicked ground stroke from Lisicki.
The second game saw most points decided by Sabine shots either outright winners or mistakes. Sadly for her the errors won out and it became 1-1. Caro faced another break point but with two lovely passing shots interspersed with an ace she led 2-1 before Sabine served supremely to level again 2-2.
The Lisicki backhand could only be described as sublime - the winners were coming as frequently as my cliches. The forehand became slightly miffed and decided to join in the fun combining to help break Caro's serve and give Sabine 3-2. The next two games tested Wozniacki and she wasn't capable of meeting the standard asked by Lisicki whose shot making, once merely exquisite, improved to another as yet unknown adjective. Easy service hold followed by another break and the German had a chance to serve for the set.
No doubt about her achieving that as she brutalised Caro yet again. Only 2 unforced errors from Wozniacki may seem extraordinary but the scorers these days fail to record forced mistakes and there were a plethora. 6-2 Lisicki.

Inexplicably the well from which the endless stream of Lisicki winners had flowed dried up in an instant and the errors replaced them. Caro sensed an opportunity, held her serve and waited for the capitulation at the other end. A terrible service game by Sabine and a shocking end to Caro's next ensured a 3-0 situation and a heap of pressure on the next German deliveries. More garbage and 4-0 - it was Caroline's party but it was Sabine who was crying and she didn't want to.
Caro caught the ineptitude bug next game and with two double faults amongst an ordinary effort gifted a break back to Lisicki. Games went to serve for the next two and Sabine needed to continue the trend for the set not to conclude right here. It didn't finish then but Wozniacki managed to save a number of break points and win the set 6-3. A tough one to call because both players were doing as well as each other by the end of Set 2.

Sabine took us back to the glorious tennis of the first set as she broke Caroline in the second game of the decider in between holding serve twice, all the while stunning us with superb passing shots off not always inadequate Wozniacki offerings. 0-3 and lots to consider for Caro.
Bearing in mind that the score only constituted a single service break, the match still could go either way as evidenced by Sabine's poor showing in her next attempts from the line. Caro broke back and at 2-3 had some kind of momentum.

Meanwhile Sabine's car had stalled in the middle of the freeway with the Wozniacki truck ready to run over the top - another break after saving 3 break points and Caro led 4-3.

Wozniacki solid now on serve. 3-5 and with errors bleeding from her racquet Lisicki needed to hold serve to keep the match alive.  She failed and Caro prevailed 2-6 6-3 6-3