ASB Classic: Wozniacki beats Siegemund to start 2019 on a high

Caroline Wozniacki happened to be in great shape to start the 2019 season at the ASB Classic Wednesday. After a delay in arriving at the tournament, the top seed came out on the court to deal herself a victory against Laura Siegemund in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 on center court at the ASB Arena.

The Dane and the German met for the first time in their careers, making it an interesting start to the 2019 season for Wozniacki. Since her loss at Singapore to WTA champion Elina Svitolina, the world number three was revved up to get into the competition and express her strengths in full.

Siegemund got the chance after she lost out in the qualifications but made the draw due to a withdraw. Although she hasn’t faced anyone in the top ten since Rome 2017, the 30-year-old would try to make her first match an important first step.

She attempted to get an early break chance on Wozniacki but the Dane kept her cool and secured her opening service hold. Siegemund made sure to keep in touch with the number one seed and held to make a statement.

Wozniacki upped the ante and held in the third game before attacking the game of the German to take a 3-1 stance, and consolidated another hold for a 4-1 margin.

Siegemund recovered, winning the next of her service games, but the gap was too much to recover from against the top seed. Wozniacki made the ninth game an easy one, reaching three set points to close out the first stanza in 41 minutes.

The 28-year-old scored on 13 of 16 from the first serve and that did a number on Siegemund who returned on 8 of 30 shots.

Wozniacki easily made the returns for winners, gaining three break points. Siegemund gained back two but it did not result in a service hold. It instead turned into one way traffic for Wozniacki, who steamrolled to a 3-0 lead looking to shut down the German. The 30-year-old wouldn’t let it go there and fought back in the fourth where she earned a double break to get on the board.

She consolidated another victory to sit a game down, making a statement that she wasn’t done playing. Wozniacki didn’t have the same feelings on the subject, recording another break to sit 5-2 with the ball in hand for the match. The number one seed had a slight challenge, but a failed attempt at break point from Siegemund ended her tournament with a hit back into the net, ending at 1 hour and 21 minutes.

.@CaroWozniacki shines in her @ASB_Classic opener!Bounces Siegemund, 6-3, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/Pw0ybXWUdH

— WTA (@WTA) January 2, 2019

“I definitely felt rust out there,” Wozniacki said during her on-court interview after the match. “The win and this being my first match back wasn’t the prettiest match but I just tried to hang in there so hopefully tomorrow’s gonna be better.”

She is set for a battle against qualifier Bianca Andreescu of Canada on Thursday.