Wozniacki’s U.S. Open in Perspective

The absence of Serena Williams at this year's U.S. Open meant that Caroline Wozniacki, the world No. 2, was installed as the No. 1 seed. In many ways, it came about by default for the 20-year-old Dane, but that isn't to say that she hadn't earned the No. 1 seeding. She was, after all, the second best player in the world, only behind Serena Williams, according to the rankings.

Eyebrows were raised, however, in part because she has yet to win a major title. That's just how the tennis world works these days. Look at Dinara Safina, a player who occupied the World No. 1 spot without winning a Slam, and for that very reason, she was often chastised. It appears that one has to win a Slam in order to validate everything else, which, in actuality, is preposterous.

Wozniacki was clearly under pressure going into the tournament. Having come into New York, arguably, the form player, she was amongst the U.S. Open's main contenders. Some people argued that she wasn't a worthy No. 1 seed; talk which could only have added to the pressure, whilst also bringing forth a desire inside her to prove the critics wrong.

The pressure she was under, however, was diminished somewhat considering many pundits were tipping other people to lift the trophy. Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova were tending to get a mention before Wozniacki. In fact, I championed Sharapova about a month ago.

The first three rounds were easy for Wozniacki, dropping only three games. She was beginning to justify her tag as No. 1 seed, but up next in the fourth round was Sharapova. Wozniacki won 6-3, 6-4, a scoreline which may flatter the Dane because it suggests an easier victory than it was. Perhaps it wasn't difficult in terms of the tennis played, but given the fact that Sharapova had a 2-0 head-to-head record against against Wozniacki and the fighting spirit of Sharapova, it was a stern test.

It was clear that Wozniacki had been in a dogfight against Sharapova and that match could well turn out to be a defining moment in her career. She proved she could go toe-to-toe with one of the greatest competitors in the women's game, but it all means nothing when you don't leave New York with the title.

In all honesty, I had expected to be putting the finishing touches on this article on Sunday morning because, at the very least, I expected her to reach the final. Wozniacki, alas, was defeated in the semifinals by Vera Zvonareva, a player she had beaten quite easily in the Rogers Cup final a few weeks ago.

In the semifinal, Wozniacki looked like a different player, something that she admitted herself after the match. It's possible that the pressure that had been mounting got a little too much. Winning the recent tournaments in Montreal and New Haven could have hampered her physical well-being, but if that's the case, then fitness is something she would clearly have to work on. Or, as is sometimes the case, she had an off-day.

No matter what the reason was, it's imperative to keep things in perspective. She has had a good year to date with four titles to add to her resumé. In the three majors prior to the U.S. Open, she had career-best results. In Australia and at Wimbledon, she equaled her best result by reaching the fourth round, and she reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

Wozniacki is becoming a very well-rounded player with very few weaknesses. She has the ability to hit the ball well off both wings and she's adept at adding a variety of spins to the ball. Where the Dane may struggle is really going in for the kill and imposing herself on her opponent. While she is more than capable of doing so against lesser opposition, she can become quite timid against the better players.

Some people may get on her back by saying that this was her best chance to win a major for the foreseeable future, especially since the likes of Serena Williams and Justine Henin were absent. I, on the other hand, believe that she demonstrated a lot that she has to offer throughout the U.S. Open and she should now be a contender at majors in the future. At 20-years-old, she is developing nicely and it's important to remember that reaching the pinnacle of the game can be an exhaustive process. One need look no further than this year's French Open champion, Francesca Schiavone, to see that.