WOZNIACKI: NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU

WOZNIACKI: NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU
There is little doubt that in New York Caroline Wozniacki has found a home away from home.

Born in Denmark to Polish parents, like all players, Wozniacki's professional calling has left little time for setting down roots. However, there is something about the Big Apple that the former World No.1 has found very much to her liking.

Professionally, the city has provided plenty of moments to cherish - most notably runs to the US Open final in 2009 and 2014 - while off the court the Dane moves to a New York beat, attending fashion shows, sports events and even running the marathon.

It is no surprise then that this fortnight on the tennis calendar has coincided with Wozniacki's return to form.

After a campaign hampered by a nagging ankle injury, Wozniacki has provided a timely reminder of her considerable talents; indeed, counterpunching masterclasses against first Svetlana Kuznetsova and then Madison Keys were as impressive as anything produced during her pomp.

Owner of an apartment in downtown Manhattan, Wozniacki, enjoys home comforts not available to most during the tour's fortnightly visit to Flushing Meadows.

"I just can cook - or I don't cook, actually; my mom has been cooking," Wozniacki told the press after a fourth round upset of No.8 seed Madison Keys. "She does my laundry, as well."

While many of her rivals, jet off to sunnier climes to practice between tournaments, Wozniacki is eager to spend as much time in her adopted home as possible - even if it takes her a little off the beaten path.

"I mean, we travel so much, so I don't get to spend as much time here as I want. But when I'm here lately I have been training at the McEnroe Academy on Randall's Island. Sometimes I go to the Westside Highway; it's public courts. They usually let me in and let me in and train for as long as I want. I kind of like being there, because I feel like a proper New Yorker.

"I actually haven't waited because people have been so sweet that they've let me in. But if I had to wait, I would. What can I do? I have to follow the rules, right?"

Her past accomplishments and ties to the city have ensured Wozniacki has not been left wanting for support during her run. In fact, aided by the sizeable Polish expatriate community, even against American No.3 Keys, Wozniacki was a popular winner. "Well, there are a lot of Polish people living here. Obviously there is a big fan base from Poland here.

"I was born in Denmark and feel Danish, but I have some Polish blood in me. It's nice I can take the best of both worlds. Also I have a big part of the New York crowd with me. It's a great combination here."

A segment of her fan base will be torn when she steps on court for her semifinal against World No.2 Angelique Kerber, though. Like Wozniacki, Kerber, whose father is Polish, has close links to the motherland, where she trains and owns a house.

Down the years, the two have engaged in several titanic struggles - Kerber edges the head-to-head, 7-5 - and Wozniacki is expecting more of the same on Thursday. "We are similar in that we are both hard working. I think that, you know, hard work pays off. She's obviously very passionate. She loves what she's doing and it shows.

"Obviously I have had tough matches against her in the past. She's a great competitor. She looks fit, so it's going to be a tough one."

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