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Kiki Bertens showed true calm, focus and determination that stunned the competition at the Mutua Madrid Open.
The Dutch star looked comfortable in every aspect of the match defeating Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2 on Estadio 3 at La Caja Magica. It was the first time she defeated the Dane in her career making a statement of her danger to others in the tournament.
The fourth meeting between two top 20 players was for a quarterfinals spot which the world number two would try to advance to.
The Dutch star made it there last year with every intention to do the same but hasn’t played the Dane on clay before.
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Bertens is very experienced on the surface having made the semis of Roland Garros. It would be the possible leverage that Bertens needed to pull off an upset as well as making a dent in their series between one another.
Bertens got the start she wanted breaking Wozniacki in the opening game followed by securing the double break in the third game.
Just when it looked as if Wozniacki would keep the pace going on breaks, the 26-year-old Dutch specialist on clay fought off the Dane at deuce becoming the first to hold.
She scored a triple break in the fifth leaving Wozniacki no choice but to speak with her father and coach to remedy the situation.
It didn’t come in the shape of breaking Bertens as she held once again leading 5-1 with the threat of taking the first set.
Wozniacki capped her first hold of the set but still had a lot to fight off in order to strike back. Bertens got her end game sealed in the eighth denying the second seed any further hope of recovery.
In the half hour it took Bertens to gain the match lead, she scored 79 percent of points on the first serve and had 18 winners from it.
Holding Wozniacki to very little on serve and just two winners was a clear indication of the Dutch’s skills on clay.
Bertens earned her fourth break of Wozniacki to start the second set and kept her dominance firm. It was becoming a real deal for the 26-year-old scoring another break of the world No.2.
She added a fifth service hold to her accomplishments on the court making it very difficult for Wozniacki to set up for the return.
She managed to bring an end to consecutive breaks holding serve for the first time in the set. It was the last she would see as Bertens rushed to victory taking the next three straight to close the match in an hour.
Bertens finished winning 26 of 33 of points on the first serve and six of seven break points in the match.
While her return game didn’t favor well, the focus and comfort she brought on the court left the door open to possibly dictating her way to a title this season.
She’ll face the winner between Maria Sharapova and Kristina Mladenovic in Thursday's quarterfinal match.
