Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki Prevails Against Gutsy Francesca Schiavone

Today at the Australian Open, Caroline Wozniacki's steady defensive tennis helped her rally against a tired but gutsy Francesca Schiavone in their quarterfinal match.

At the start of the Wozniacki/Schiavone Australian Open quarterfinal, ESPN asked viewers if Francesca had anything left in the tank after her marathon match against Svetlana Kuznetsova; 30 percent of the viewers said no.

For the first set and a half, it looked as if the viewers could be wrong. In the first set, Schiavone fought off numerous break points before breaking Wozniacki's serve. Schiavone went on to take the first set 6-3.

In the second set, Schiavone was up a break 3-1, when four consecutive unforced errors from Schiavone gave Wozniacki the momentum she needed to turn this match around. Caroline Wozniacki went on to take the second set 6-3.

In the third set, it looked as if Sciavone had finally run out of steam. Down two breaks at 5-2 40-15, Francesca fought off several match points to break back. ESPN commentators remarked that the game deserved a standing ovation. Yet Wozniacki finally closed out the match at 6-3.

ESPN commentators wondered why Australian Open fans had not rallied more behind Schiavone, especially considering what she was able to accomplish in her fourth-round match against Kuznetsova. Crowds tend to root for an underdog, and Schiavone fit the bill perfectly as an old-school 30-year-old serve and volley player who had come off a four hour and 44 minute match.

It's possible that fans are upset Francesca Schiavone was able to defeat Australian Samantha Stosur at the 2010 French Open final.

And despite her relatively un-glamorous game, it's tough to root against Caroline Wozniacki because she is so genuinely likable. And it would also be nice to see a No. 1 player win a major for once. After they way the media crucified Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina, women's tennis could use a strong and stable No. 1 player.

Wozniacki will have a tough road ahead at the Australian Open. Her next opponent is Li Na, who has much at stake in this tournament. As she humorously commented (via Washington Post), Li's husband will let her loose with their credit card if she wins.

Statistics for the Caroline Wozniacki/Francesca Schiavone quarterfinal match are available at the Australian Open site.