Puig Pulls Off Wozniacki Upset

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

EASTBOURNE, Great Britain – Monica Puig continued her stellar grass court season with a thrilling victory over former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals of the Aegon International.

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The Puerto Rican star is in the midst of a career-best season, matching her best French Open result by reaching the third round and making her first-ever grass court semifinal at the Aegon Open in Nottingham.

“I have had up-and-down results with grass courts in the past,” Puig said in her post-match press conference. “You know, I had fourth round at Wimbledon, and early exits in all the tournaments. So it’s a surface where you have to really work at it in the first week and a half, you know.

“I tried to use Nottingham as a good preparation for Wimbledon and getting used to the body on how I’m supposed to get really low and just feel everything out.”

Wozniacki, by contrast, is attempting to kickstart her season after an ankle injury forced her to sit out the entirety of hte clay court season. With a solid win over No.7 Samantha Stosur in the second round, the Dane looked on course to build even more momentum ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, surviving a titanic sixth game and eventually running away with the first set in 50 minutes.

“She’s a great player and she makes you work for every single point, so it was really up to me to stay very focused in my game plan and what I wanted to accomplish out there in the court.”

One break separated the two in the second set, with Puig converting and racing out to a 2-0 lead in the decider after leveling the match at one set apiece.

“I think Monica played really well today,” Wozniacki said after the match. “I just have to take that and then just bring it with me to next week.

“There are a couple of things you can always improve on, but generally I’m feeling good, I’m feeling confident. And again, I’m not seeded so hopefully I can get a nice draw for myself.

“I feel like the draws haven’t been with me the last year, so I’m like hopefully eventually it’s going to turn, right? I’m hoping it’s going to start at Wimbledon.”

Wozniacki had one last surge in the final set, winning three games on the bounce, but Puig proved too strong in the end, serving out the win in two hours and 15 minutes.

“I was aggressive there at the end,” Puig noted. “You know, it’s never easy also to close out a match when you’re serving, especially when it’s 5-4. You know, anything can happen, and then all of a sudden you’re 5-5, fighting to get your lead back.

“I stayed with my game plan the whole way and the way that I was just extremely positive throughout the match.”

Up next for Puig is another youngster in Kristina Mladenovic, who edged past Anna-Lena Friedsam, 6-4, 7-6(4).

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