NEW YORK – It was only a first step, but one that Caroline Wozniacki was delighted to make.
The Dane crushed Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain 6-3 6-1 Tuesday in her first US Open appearance as the world’s top-ranked woman.
And that’s been the knock against Wozniacki, who sits atop of the WTA rankings yet has never won a Grand Slam tournament.
She’s not alone – Dinara Safina of Russia and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia both were ranked No. 1 in the world and neither has a major title to back it up. Safina currently is sidelined with a bad back, while Jankovic joined Wozniacki in the second round with a 6-2 6-0 shellacking of American Alison Riske.
Wozniacki is defensive about her lack of Grand Slam tournament trophies, a subject that comes up in almost all meetings with the media.
“I won six tournaments this year already,” she bristled in her post-match interview. “I should definitely not be complaining. I’m in a good position. I’m in a good spot.
“I’m happy, healthy and I can go out there and compete. That’s what’s most important. I’m winning a lot of matches, and that’s what satisfies me.”
Against her Spanish opponent, Wozniacki was dominating, winning 68 points – all but five coming from her strong baseline game – to just 45 for Llagostera Vives.
“It’s definitely an honor (being No. 1), and it’s a dream for me to be there,” the Danish right-hander said. “You know, I’m trying to stay up there as long as possible, and doesn’t really matter what people are saying.
“No one can ever take that away from me. I’m No. 1 in the world. I have been there for 46 weeks. So, I mean, that’s a great achievement.”
Wozniacki had a rough summer, losing three straight matches, before regrouping and winning for the fourth straight year at New Haven, Connecticut, in the final US Open warm-up event.
“To win a tournament four times in a row is something special,” she said. “I can’t believe I’ve been there four times already. I’m 21 years old and I already feel like I’m a senior on tour.”
Novak Djokovic, No. 1 on the men’s tour, had an even easier time posting his first-round victory. His opponent, Ireland’s Conor Niland, was trailing 6-0 5-1 when he retired because of food poisoning.
“This year has been a very long year, so I really don’t mind that I spend less time on the court,” Djokovic said. “I think I’ve played well for these 45, 50 minutes that we had on the court. It’s unfortunate for my opponent, obviously. He had food poisoning he told me after the match.
“But I felt great on the court, and that’s something that’s really important for the start of the tournament.”
Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis pulled off the biggest upset in the men’s singles so far, ousting 16th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-2 6-4 6-4, while two other players retired.
Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela was leading 3-1 when Marinko Matosevic of Australia injured his ankle. Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan advanced when Canada’s Frank Dancevic retired while trailing 6-3 6-2 1-0.
Like Wozniacki, Jankovic slumped during 2011, but has started once again showing flashes of the game that took her to the US Open final in 2008, where she lost to Serena Williams.
She totally dominated the young American, who was making her US Open debut as a wild card. Jankovic, moving her opponent from side to side as if she was on a string, finished with 55 total points to just 27 for Riske. The 21-year-old from Hilton Head, South Carolina, never reached a break point on Jankovic’s serve, losing her first round match in all three Grand Slam tournaments in which she participated this year, the Australian Open and Wimbledon before America’s premier tennis event.
Sabine Lisicki, the No. 22 seed from Germany, toppled Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine 6-3 6-3. The win sends Lisicki, a semifinalist at Wimbledon, into a second-round match against Venus Williams.