Julia Görges can’t be stopped at the start of the new season either: Germany’s number one won the tournament in Auckland and finished 14th. Victory in a row the third title in a row.
Görges defeated top seeded Danish Caroline Wozniacki in the final after another strong performance 6:4,7:6 (7:4). After 1:30 hours, the 29-year-old transformed her first match ball with a forehand winner and then dropped her racket with joy. For the form-strong Görges, it was the fifth individual triumph on the WTA Tour – the third in a row.
“That feels wonderful. And not just this victory, but this consistency with which I have played in the last few months. That makes me proud, and I’m enjoying every moment,”said the World Ranking 14th, who will be playing at the upcoming Australian Open (15th. till 28. January) is one of the favourites. Görges is still waiting for a Grand Slam tournament in which he is about to take the last sixteen. She was often so close, most recently at the US Open in New York, when Görges was defeated by the later champion Sloane Stephens (USA) in three sets.
In the duel with WTA World Champion Wozniacki, the woman from Regensburg won 41 – with only 23 unforced mistakes “She played really well. I hope to get my revenge in Australia,”said Wozniacki. The number three in the ranking missed her 28th place. Title.
Görges expanded her successful series to 14 individual victories after the coups of Moscow and at the B-WM in Zhuhai in 2017 and celebrated a dream start into the new year in New Zealand. In 2017 she had already been in the final of the ASB Classics in Auckland.
After the match ball and the handshake with Wozniacki she hurried to her coach Michael Geserer and physio Florian Zitzelsberger in the direction of the box. Her team approached the new Auckland winner halfway down the track – and what followed was sheer joy.
Next week Görges should be at the tournament in Sydney. But because of knee problems she cancelled her participation in the dress rehearsal for the Australian Open at short notice. In return, Carina Witthöft moved into the main field as Lucky Loser. In the first round, the Hamburg player will face former Flushing Meadows winner Samantha Stosur (Australia).