Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark (R) has her wrist taped by a trainer during a break in her match against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic in Sydney Monday. — AP
SYDNEY — World No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki retired with a wrist injury in her opening match at the Sydney International Monday, but is confident she will play in next week's Australian Open. The Danish star had several visits from the trainer before calling it quits after the second game of the second set after dropping the opening set to Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. Wozniacki shook her head and walked to the net to shake hands with Zahlavova Strycova and forfeited the match. Zahlavova Strycova will now meet Australia's Sam Stosur for a place in the quarterfinals. Wozniacki, who lost to Venus Williams in the final of the Auckland Classic Saturday, said she withdrew to help her chances of recovering in time for the year's opening Grand Slam, which gets under way in Melbourne Monday. “I felt it during a shot. I hit it against the wind and hit it late and I felt it in my wrist,” she said. “I'm just going to try and get some treatment on it and try and get ready for next week.” Defending champion Tsvetana Pironkova reached the second round after eliminating Italian eighth seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Bulgaria's Pironkova, who once again had to play qualifiers to reach the main draw, will next take on American Madison Keys. Stosur took over three hours to overcome the Czech Republic's world No. 16 Lucie Safarova 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 to end a run of six successive defeats for the 2011 US Open champion. Last year's Australian Open finalist and seventh seed Dominika Cibulkova advanced to the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over French qualifier Kristina Mladenovic. Cibulkova, who lost to Li Na in last year's Australian Open final, will now face Australian Jarmila Gajdosova, whom ousted Germany's Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 7-6 (7-5). Federer beats Hewitt Roger Federer fought his way to a tough win over old rival Lleyton Hewitt in the Fast4 tennis exhibition in Sydney Monday. The Swiss world No. 2 continued his unbeaten run into the new season with a 4-3, 2-3, 3-4, 4-0, 4-3 win over the Australian in the short-form contest. Coming off a four-match winning run in Brisbane, where he took the title in three sets over Milos Raonic Sunday, Federer started where he left off. The match featured an experimental style of play, with sets being won after four games, no deuces and play allowed to continue after lets on serve. The shorter breaks between the changes of ends certainly worked, speeding up the pace considerably. The format has been piloted at clubs across Australia and is being billed as the Twenty20 of tennis, a reference to the fast and furious form of cricket that has proved a huge hit. — Agencies
