Caroline Wozniacki was dumped from the Sydney International on Wednesday, opening the way for rival Petra Kvitova to seize the world number one ranking heading into next week's Australian Open. Wozniacki crashed out to Polish world number eight Agnieszka Radwanska, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the quarter-finals after being broken while serving out for the match at 5-4 in the second set.
Radwanska will now face Belarussian third seed Victoria Azarenka in Thursday's semis, with Kvitova lining up against Chinese defending champion Li Na in the day's other semi-final. Wimbledon champion Kvitova had an emphatic straight sets victory over Daniela Hantuchova, while world number five Li downed Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). Kvitova is on track to take the number one ranking by winning the tournament. "To be honest, I don't think about it (losing top ranking)," Wozniacki said. "The most important thing is to be healthy and be able play and play well. What happens happens. It doesn't matter."
Earlier Kvitova reeled off the opening eight games before dishing out a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Hantuchova, the Slovak number 21. Kvitova, who like Li has been in top form in preparation for the season's first grand slam in Melbourne, swept to victory breaking Hantuchova's service five times for her fourth win over the Slovakian. "I was surprised that I played well. In these (windy) conditions it's very tough to play," Kvitova said.
Li said she was playing her best tennis since before last year's Wimbledon as she battled into the semi-finals. The world number five needed one hour 50 minutes to subdue battling Czech Safarova in blustery conditions to move into the last four in the defence of the Sydney title she won last year.
It was Li's third win this week, continuing her upsurge in form after a dismal follow-up to her landmark French Open success at Roland Garros, which saw her become the first Asian to win a grand slam title. Li, 29, was clearly relieved to have put her problems of the second half of 2011 behind her and is eyeing back-to-back Sydney finals. Belarussian Azarenka downed France's Marion Bartoli 7-5, 6-4 in their quarter-final.
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