The ranking in the world rankings is actually an indication of how good a tennis player is in comparison to others. But the ranking is also determined by how regularly you take part in world ranking tournaments. If you are world class but don’t play, you will slip down. And so it can happen that in a match between the 36th ranked player in the world and the 112th ranked player, the latter is the favorite.
This is what happened at the Bad Homburg Open on Wednesday evening. Veronika Kudermetova, a former top ten player, had to play in the round of 16 against former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who only started playing tournaments again last autumn. The Russian ultimately had no chance, and Wozniacki defeated her 6:2 and 6:4 in 84 minutes.
The Dane dominated the match from the start. Barely visible emotions escaped her body, very controlled and almost error-free, she gave Kudermetova no chance. Two breaks in the sixth and eighth games after a few unforced errors by Kudermetova secured her the first set after 38 minutes in the heat of Bad Homburg (the thermometer showed almost 30 degrees in the merciless sunshine). At the start of the second set, this gave Kudermetova trouble: her circulation was failing, she called a physiotherapist who took her pulse, but was able to continue playing after a short time.
In top shape despite illness
And how: After Wozniacki had temporarily led 4:1 in the second set, the Russian won two service games and got a break – 4:4. The match was now much better in the second set, the rallies were more competitive, the opponents were on equal terms for a short time. But Wozniacki showed no nerves, turned it up again and got her fourth break of the match in the decisive tenth game of the second set.
There was no sign of exhaustion, tiredness or poor performance, although these are the first results when you type the symptoms of the autoimmune disease that Wozniacki was diagnosed with shortly after winning the 2018 Australian Open into the search engine: rheumatoid arthritis. A disease in which the immune system attacks the inner lining of the joints. Nevertheless, the ailments were noticeable, said Wozniacki after the match. “Living normally with it is not easy. Playing tennis at the highest level is even harder.” The disease is one of the reasons why she only plays selected tournaments. In order to be able to play in Bad Homburg and Wimbledon next week, she needed a wildcard.
Nevertheless, she has learned to deal with it in recent years and now knows how much she can trust herself to do, said Wozniacki. It is also important to her to inspire other people with autoimmune diseases. “They should know that they can achieve what they want, even with the disease.”
After temporarily retiring from her career in Melbourne in 2020, Wozniacki had two children with her husband, basketball player David Lee, and only announced her comeback last summer. At the US Open in August and September, she immediately made a statement, reaching the round of 16, where she was eliminated after only three sets by eventual tournament winner Coco Gauff.
Confident before Wimbledon
In the quarterfinals in Bad Homburg, the Dane will play against third-seeded Emma Navarro, number 19 in the world rankings, late on Thursday afternoon. Navarro had previously beaten Peyton Stearns 6:4, 6:1 after just 66 minutes. It is their first meeting at a tournament, although they had already trained together in Charleston in March. “She is very talented and will be a tough opponent. But I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Wozniacki on Wednesday evening.
Looking ahead to Wimbledon, Wozniacki was confident. “When I’m in shape, I can beat anyone.” Playing on grass suits her. That’s another reason why Bad Homburg is one thing above all else for many: the final test before Wimbledon.
