Wozniacki progresses with ease
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki laid down a marker with a 6-2 6-0 thrashing of Arantxa Rus in the second round of the US Open on Thursday night.
The Dane has faced the pressure of being world number one without having won a grand slam for nearly a year following her rise to the top of the rankings last October.
A third-round defeat at the French Open and a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon this summer increased the heat further, although the 21-year-old has always insisted it is not something that bothers her.
Wozniacki came close to a grand slam breakthrough at Flushing Meadows in 2009 when she reached the final but she was beaten by Kim Clijsters.
Dutchwoman Rus showed her potential by upsetting Clijsters in the second round of the French Open this year and the 20-year-old began well on Arthur Ashe Stadium tonight, breaking the Wozniacki serve in the first game.
The top seed has been vulnerable against attacking players like Rus in the past but she retrieved the break straight away and began to take control.
Three games in a row gave her the first set and, with Rus becoming increasingly frustrated by the speed and consistency of her opponent, Wozniacki raced through the second set in 23 minutes to earn a third-round meeting with American Vania King.
