Aleksandra Wozniak

Wozniak Reaches Second Round in Miami

March 27, 2008

Dubois falls to Bychkova

Aleksandra Wozniak (Blainville, Quebec) earned one of the most important wins of her career to reach the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Thursday. Held in Key Biscane, Florida, it is the third Tier I event * of the 2008 season on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

Wozniak, 143rd in the world, defeated Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, ranked 54th, in three sets of 2-6, 6-3 and 6-4. It is the twenty-year-old Canadian’s biggest victory since she defeated Argentina’s Gisela Dulko in Fed Cup action in 2006. Dulko was then ranked 33rd on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings.

“It’s an incredible feeling”, declared Wozniak. “I managed to forget about what happened in the opening set and focused on my own game. I continued to play offensive tennis but the risks I took were more calculated which enabled me to create openings on the court. I was determined to win this match and I am very happy to advance in such an important tournament.”

Wozniak will next play thirteenth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, 13th on the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings, for the first time. This is Wozniak’s best showing at a WTA Tier I event since reaching the second round of the Rogers Cup presented by American Express in Toronto, in 2007.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Dubois (Laval, Quebec) dropped her first round match 6-3, 6-3 against Russian Ekaterina Bychkova, ranked 105th.

Wozniak and Dubois will both take part in the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank held at Uniprix Stadium July 26 – August 3.

*Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Berlin, Rome, Montréal, Tokyo, Moscow