Wozniacki ousts
Sharapova at US Open

NEW YORK – Top seed Caroline Wozniacki stayed on course for her maiden Grand Slam title on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Maria Sharapova in a pulsating fourth-round tie.

In the end, it was Sharapova’s vulnerability on serve at key points that proved to be the main difference, handing vital breaks to the Dane through double faults in each set.

Wozniacki will play unseeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia for a place in the semi-finals.

“It was a tough match. She is a great player and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” last year’s runner-up said.

“I got a lot of experience from last year and that helped me a lot today.”

The world No. 2 went into the match having dropped just three games in her first three outings in New York, the least in a Grand Slam event by any woman since Mary Pierce at the 1994 French Open.

She had also won three out of the last four WTA tournaments in the build-up to New York and had enjoyed a 17-1 win-loss record since Wimbledon.