Caroline Wozniacki defeated the young Russian Tatiana Prozorova 6-3, 6-2 in the US Open and secures her first victory in a Grand Slam after more than three years.
Prozorova arrived at Flushing Meadows as a relative unknown, as the 19-year-old played her first Grand Slam qualifier, progressing through three rounds to make her main draw debut. Prozorova showcased her abilities on the major stage, displaying impressive tennis both in the qualifiers and in this first round.
Facing her was former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who is 14 years older than her 33-year-old opponent. The Danish player returned to the WTA tour just two weeks ago after a three-year retirement and becoming a mother of two.
Wozniacki has shown competitive form, securing a victory over Kimberly Birrell in her first match and putting up a strong fight in her defeat against the recent Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, losing 6-2, 7-5.
In the first set, both players experienced quick service breaks, leaving the score tied at 1-1. With greater composure on her serve, Prozorova took a 3-2 lead, but a strong run from Wozniacki allowed her to win four consecutive games and take the set 6-3.
The second set saw both players battling in each game for a break, but it was Wozniacki who performed better in crucial points, saving two break points against her and securing two breaks of her own to claim victory 6-2.
This marks Caroline Wozniacki's first Grand Slam victory since reaching the third round of the 2020 Australian Open, where she lost to Ons Jabeur. Additionally, she notched her 39th victory at the US Open, maintaining a 75% winning record in matches played at Flushing Meadows.
In the second round, a clash of Grand Slam champions awaits as she faces the 11th seed Petra Kvitova. These two players have met on 14 occasions, with their first encounter dating back to 2009, resulting in a head-to-head record of 8-6 in favor of Kvitova.
Wozniacki d. Prozorova 6-3 6-2 in US Open R1 Caroline hadn’t played a Grand Slam match since she retired 3 years & 7 months ago Her passion to come back out here after she’s already achieved so much is admirable ✅1st Slam match win as a mom Lighting up the night. 🇩🇰❤️
