Tennis: No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki Rallies to Reach BNP Paribas Quarterfinals

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When news circulated throughout Indian Wells on Tuesday that Kim Clijsters had, in fact, retired with a shoulder injury, one thing became quite clear: this is truly Caroline Wozniacki's tournament to lose. 

With Clijsters, Samantha Stosur, 2010 champ Jelena Jankovic and 2009 champ Vera Zvonareva all out of the running after the first week of competition, there's no denying that the No. 1 player in the world is also the No. 1 threat at the BNP Paribas Open. 

Then Wozniacki almost blew the chance, dropping the first set to Alisa Kleybanova before rallying to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to advance to the quarterfinals. 

“It was a tough match,” Wozniacki said. “I think I made a little bit too many unforced errors in the beginning. She started well, she started aggressively, but I just couldn't find my rhythm out there." 

Kleybanova broke Wozniacki twice in the first set while hitting 10 of 11 first serves for winners. Wozniacki's return game got much stronger from there, particularly in the third set, as she broke Kleybanova three times and hit 9 of 13 second return points for winners. 

Wozniacki improved to 3-0 all-time against Kleybanova, and she advances to the quarterfinals to face eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka took a dramatic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over ninth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska Wednesday. 

Azarenka saved four match points to force the third-set tie breaker in a three-hour match. She and Wozniacki are good friends, which should make Thursday's match all the more interesting.

“We were competing together when we were both young, under 18,” Wozniacki said. “One of our first tournaments we played on the WTA was in Memphis, and we played doubles together there. We made it to the finals."

The two night cap winners Tuesday will now take each other on—China's Peng Shuai and Russia's Maria Sharapova. In a battle of former No. 1s, Sharapova overpowered Dinara Safina, 6-2, 6-0, needing just over an hour to do so. Although Safina went down quickly, Sharapova said her countrywoman's game has definitely improved of late. 

“You just go out there, and no matter who you're playing, you have to expect your opponent to play great tennis,” said Sharapova. “This was one of the first tournaments that she's starting to play a lot better and find her form. That's dangerous, because she comes into a match, and confidence is a huge thing. You can come in and swing away. I just wanted to take care of business.” 

The only unseeded player left in the tournament, Peng continues her run that caught the world's attention with her upset of seventh-seeded Li Na. 

On Tuesday, she defeated Nadia Petrova 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Ranked No. 38 in the world, Peng is after her first final in the Western Hemisphere since 2007.

Joining the quarterfinal party are 10th-seed Shahar Peer and 23rd-seed Yanina Wickmayer. Peer continued her recent surge, upending Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3) to improve to 9-5 on the season, dropping Schiavone under .500 (6-7). 

Peer has been one of Schiavone's toughest opponents on tour, improving to 4-1 against the 2010 French Open champion. 

Wickmayer won a tough 7-5, 7-5 victory over Dominka Cibulkova. Cibulkova self-destructed with nine double faults, and was broken six times. Peer and Wickmayer square off in the late match Wednesday night. 

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