Caroline Wozniacki hoping to secure first title of 2012
Caroline Wozniacki is preparing for a double celebration. The 21-year-old Dane hopes to secure her first title of the year here at the Dubai Duty Free Championships and believes she is also on course to win a bet she has struck with her boyfriend, Rory McIlroy.
"The bet is no sweets, no white bread, no fried food, no sodas," Wozniacki said last night after a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ana Ivanovic earned a semi-final meeting today with the winner of last night's concluding quarter-final between Daniela Hantuchova and Julia Goerges. "On Sundays I can have one thing. So if I choose to drink a glass of Coke, that's it. The bet is until one of us breaks down. I'm stubborn, so I'm not going to give up. I think I'm going to win."
Asked what is at stake in the bet, Wozniacki said: "Let's just put it this way, I wouldn't do it for a pair of sunglasses. I wouldn't put myself through that."
While Wozniacki's greatest temptation is chocolate or jelly, she said McIlroy would find it hard resisting crisps, popcorn and fizzy drinks. McIlroy is playing in a golf tournament in Arizona this week and Wozniacki said she trusted him not to cheat on the bet. "He's such a bad liar," she said. "I would tell right away if he had eaten something unhealthy."
Jelena Jankovic will play Agnieszka Radwanska in the other semi-final here. Jankovic, the world No 14, beat Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-2 to record only her second victory over a top 10 player since she beat the Australian at the same stage of this tournament 12 months ago. Radwanska, who beat Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 6-1, has reached the quarter-finals or better in all four of her tournaments this year. She has lost only three matches - all of them against the world No 1, Victoria Azarenka.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies