Caroline Wozniacki: Has the sun started to shine again?

Her surge of confidence became more evident as she took the court against the British No. 1, Laura Robson, in her second round encounter. Their battle at Roland Garros had turned out to be a dampener for the British fans, but many had predicted a reversal of fortunes in this particular match between former junior Wimbledon champions.

Robson, who has recently inked up a partnership with Andy Murray’s former coach Miles Maclagan, began in a promising fashion. Serving at the sweet spots and going for her brutal off-forehands at will, Robson started using her attacking tennis to keep the Dane at bay. Each of her winners and errors started drawing the oohs and aahs from the British crowd, and before long it became clearer that Wozniacki was playing both Robson and the spectators.

But that only lit up the amazing defence that the Dane is famous for. Egged on by her support team comprising superstar beau Rory Mc Illroy, Wozniacki produced a masterclass of consistency – serving brilliantly, producing exquisite angles and flattening out the intermittent down-the-line forehands. Soon, Wozniacki had assumed the role of the condescending grasscourter and Robson was reduced to a pretender.

When Wozniacki finds her rhythm, it is tough to throw her off unless one takes one’s chances impeccably. Her superb retrieving skills were on display, which mounted more pressure on the Briton’s serve. And the serve cracked in both sets under the weight of the jangling nerves. And that’s all Wozniacki needed to romp into the quarter-finals.

Grass is perhaps the panacea Caroline needed to cure herself. Needless to say, the return to grass has palliated her distressing form as this is just the first time since Indian Wells that she has played and won two matches in a row. For the first time in many weeks, Wozniacki has been producing flashes of her former self – the grit, the tenacity, the eagerness are shining forth. She has surely come back with a renewed hunger and desire which had been missing for some time. Perhaps, the sun is once again shining over the Dane.