US Open top seed Caroline Wozniacki wins in New Haven for 3rd consecutive year

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Wozniacki beats Petrova to win in New Haven again

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — U.S. Open top seed Caroline Wozniacki won her third consecutive Pilot Pen tennis title Sunday, beating Russian Nadia Petrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the final.

The victory capped a good week for the 20-year-old Danish star, who won in Montreal on Monday and heads to New York with four wins this season, the most of any player on tour.

“I feel great,” Wozniacki said. “I have a Tuesday start. So, you know, I’m on a roll.”

Sergiy Stakhovsky was scheduled to play Denis Istomin in the men’s final later Saturday.

Wozniacki took the early lead, getting the only break of the first set in the sixth game. She broke Petrova again to open the second set and seemed to be in control.

But holding serve was a problem for both players in the second set and the Russian found her return game. She broke Wozniacki three times, and was able to hold up 5-3 to win the set.

Wozniacki said part of the problem was the sun.

“It was really difficult to see the ball when you were throwing it up from one side,” she said. “That made it a little bit more difficult.”

Wozniacki went up 2-0 in the third, after Petrova appeared to pull something in her back and called for a trainer. She double faulted to go down 3-1, but fought back to 4-3. Wozniacki broke her again and served out the match.

“I was thinking, ‘OK, I have a great serve, I’m standing on the right side, I almost have new balls. So this one should be mine now,’” Wozniacki said.

Petrova, who received a last-minute wild-card entry into the tournament, was playing her first final since 2008. She served 12 aces Saturday and said she likes where her game is heading into New York.

“If my back would have been OK in the beginning of the third set, maybe the set would have been closer and I’d have maybe a chance to really challenge her, maybe win the title,” Petrova said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

Wozniacki is 13-0 in New Haven and has now won the tournament more than any player except Venus Williams, who took four consecutive titles between 1999 and 2002. A crowd favorite, she said she hopes to defend the title next year.

“I love this tournament,” Wozniacki said. “It’s been great preparation for me the last couple of years, so I would love to come back.”

Tournament organizers hope she can. They have until the end of September to find a title sponsor to replace Pilot Pen, which is ending its relationship with the tournament.