Friday 8th April 2011 13 No. 1 Wozniacki in easy win in Charleston BY PETE IACOBELLI “You think about it sometimes a lit- tle bit sometimes, especially when you CHARLESTON, South Carolina go after drop shots,” she said. “But on (AP) - Top-ranked Caroline the other hand, this is a tournament Wozniacki’s latest trip to the Family that I’ve always enjoyed playing and Circle Cup began a lot better than the centre court is so cozy.” last one ended. Wozniacki won tournaments this Wozniacki opened with a straight- year in Dubai and Indian Wells, Calif. set victory over American Irina She feels her game is ready, no matter Falconi on Wednesday. It was only a what happened in the past. year ago that Wozniacki had to retire “As tournament progresses, I’ll feel from a semi-final match against Vera more and more confident on the clay Zvonareva because of an ankle injury as well,” she said. when sliding on the green clay. This Stosur, the defending champion time, though, Wozniacki moved like seeded second behind Wozniacki, the No. 1 player in dispatching topped Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, 6-1, Falconi, 6-1, 6-1. 6-2. Jankovic, the third seed who won “I’m feeling good on clay, so it’s this tournament in 2007, overcame a exciting. It’s always exciting to start windy afternoon at stadium court to here,” Wozniacki said. take out Tamira Paszek, 6-2, 6-3. If Wozniacki had any bad memo- Stosur felt the same comfort here as ries of the Family Circle Tennis she did a year ago in winning the title. Centre, she got rid of them quickly at “I think it definitely, maybe, lifts the stadium court. She took a 5-0 lead, your shoulders up a little bit and puts then after a brief rally by Falconi, a smile on your face,” hearing your took the final six games to close out name announced as defending cham- the match. pion. “She was playing good, but I felt Stosur had been in the area for like I could put that extra step into the more than week, preparing for her ball,” Wozniacki said. “I made the first clay-court event. She under- winners at the right chances.” stands the hurdle she’ll have to over- Other early winners were No. 7- come in Wozniacki if she hopes to seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia and repeat as champion. No. 10 Daniela Hantuchova of The 20-year-old Wozniacki doesn’t Slovakia. posses an overpowering serve or a Wozniacki one of three top-10 play- dominant backhand, but Stosur ers taking part in the tournament. believes consistency that gives her an Fifth-ranked Samantha Stosur and edge. No. 8 Jelena Jankovic, both won their “I think her weapon is her mental opening matches. toughness,” Stosur said. “If you’re Wozniacki took advantage of going to play her and beat her, you Falconi’s early mistakes to build her have to beat her. She’s not going to big lead. Falconi, a former Atlantic make a ton of unforced errors and Coast Conference player of the year at give you the match.” Georgia Tech, rallied in the middle of the match and took a 1-0 lead in the second set. But Wozniacki’s precise groundstrokes and steady shots grad- ually retook control. Falconi, ranked 128th, had never faced a No. 1 player. She was pleased that she hung in with Wozniacki for a while, but realised the enormous chal- lenge she’d have competing. “I don’t know what her weaknesses are, so when you find out, let me know,” Falconi said. Wozniacki broke Falconi’s serve at love in the match’s final game, but Caroline Wozniacki, of Denmark, makes a return to Irina Falconi during the Family could not entirely forget last year’s Circle tennis tournament in Charleston, S.C., Wednesday April 6, 2011. Wozniacki injury. defeated Falconi 6-1, 6-1. (AP Photo/The Post and Courier, Grace Beahm) Lotus fight deepens at Malaysian GP BY JULIA ZAPPEI One’s grandee teams,” KUALA LUMPUR, Fernandes said. Malaysia (AP) - Team Lotus “We are enormously proud boss Tony Fernandes has of what we have already stepped up his bitter fight with achieved in just 18 months and rival Group Lotus as both com- we have done it through hard pete for the affection of home work and dedication, not by fans at this weekend’s Formula buying seemingly instant suc- One Malaysian Grand Prix. cess through stickers on a car.” The two groups are cur- Proton managing director rently contesting a court case Syed Zainal Abidin Syed in London over the rights to the Mohamed Tahir was measured Lotus name in F1. in his response Thursday, say- Fernandes, a Malaysian ing the Renault sponsorship who is chief of budget carrier was part of a considered mar- Air Asia, claims he bought the keting strategy as Lotus aims to naming rights to the iconic F1 strengthen its hand in the luxu- brand ahead of the 2010 season. ry car market. However Group Lotus - “Lotus is an iconic brand as which makes Lotus road cars it is,” he said. “But to support and whose parent company is the development of the five cars the Malaysian government- in the future, we have to start owned car company Proton - the journey of branding. So it is has entered the sport this year a business decision and we as the chief sponsor of the believe that the branding and Renault team and claims it marketing opportunity in holds the legal rights to the Formula One for Lotus in par- name. ticular is very high and that is Heading into this week- again an example set by end’s race, Fernandes made Ferrari, Mercedes, and so on. pointed remarks about Group “We have never said that we Lotus, and the Mercedes team are a Malaysian company which is sponsored by the going to Formula One. It is a Malaysian government oil Lotus association and obvious- company Petronas. ly as the shareholder of Proton, “There will be three teams we are a national car company, here with links to Malaysia, but there is some Malaysian only one team that has involvement. The way we want Malaysian blood running deep to do it is very subtle, and very in its veins, with Malaysian systematic and done properly.” staff contributing to our The legal case between the growth at every level and which two groups continues in has been built from the ground London, with a judgement up in the same style as Formula expected this month..