By Adrianna Outlaw | Tuesday, January 5, 2016
On a day in which defending champion Venus Williams and second-seeded Ana Ivanovic both crashed out, Caroline Wozniacki showed her wheels and will to advance in Auckland.
Facing a Top 10 player for the first time, Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina rallied from 1-3 down in the decisive set to topple top-seeded Venus Williams, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3.
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The 75th-ranked Kasatkina broke Williams' serve three times in the final set winning five straight games to seal the biggest win of her career.
The 18-year-old Russian will play 66th-ranked Japanese Nao Hibino for a quarterfinal spot.
British qualifier Naomi Broady slammed 14 aces with no double faults in a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over former world No. 1 Ivanovic.
It was the 122nd-ranked Broady's first career win over a Top 20 opponent.
Facing a 0-4 deficit, Wozniacki won seven straight games sparking a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Danka Kovinic.
quot;It wasn't a great start for me, but a good start for her. I just had to get my wheels going and then I won seven games in a row, and I really felt like it was getting there," Wozniacki told WTATennis.com. "It's always tough in the first match of the season. You just want to get a good start and get the matches going.
"Honestly I was just trying to find my rhythm. She went for every shot and I wasn't keeping up."
The only one of three former world No. 1 players to advance on the day, Wozniacki will face American Christina McHale next. McHale defeated Misaki Doi, 6-2, 6-4. Wozniacki has won three of five prior meetings with McHale.
Photo credit: Photosport.nz/ASB Classic