Wozniacki powers into Australian Open quarters

Australian Open

Caroline Wozniacki found her best to power into the Australian Open quarter-finals with victory over Magdalena Rybarikova.

The second seed said she is playing with “house money” after coming back from 1-5 and two match points down in her second-round victory over Jana Fett.

Wozniacki had struggled to find the form that brought her the biggest title of her career at the WTA Finals to end last season, but she was much more impressive against 19th seed Rybarikova.

The Slovakian played a fine game to break for 2-1 in the opening set but, after breaking back immediately following a long game, Wozniacki did not look back losing only one more game.

The Dane even succeeded with a tweener, a rarity in the women’s game, and moves through to the last eight in Melbourne for the third time.

“That’s the first time in a match,” she said of her between-the-legs shot, which went over the net but was comfortably volleyed away by Rybarikova.

“If I may so myself, I’m pretty proud of that. I’ve made a few tweeners in practice but never in a match, and even in practice I sometimes make a fool of myself.”

Wozniacki next faces Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro, who staged a terrific comeback to beat Anett Kontaveit 4-6 6-4 8-6.

Suarez Navarro, formerly a top-10 player but now ranked 39, trailed by a set and 4-1, while Kontaveit also served for the match in the deciding set but could not get across the line.

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