Wozniacki too good for close friend Radwanska
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}By Martyn Herman
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Caroline Wozniacki recovered from a tricky situation on a sticky court at the WTA Championships on Tuesday to stay on course for the year-end world number one ranking.
The Dane, whose golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy was in attendance in the build-up to the event alongside the Bosphorous, recovered to beat Pole Agnieszka Radwanska 5-7 6-2 6-4 in an energy-sapping contest at the Sinan Erdem Dome.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wozniacki blew three set points in the 10th game of the opener before her trademark tenacity wore down close friend Radwanska in their Red Group round-robin clash.
"I'm very happy to pull through," said Wozniacki who has spent all but one week on top of the rankings since last October. "It was a tough battle out there.
Some of the rallies looked as though they would never end as both players peppered the corners with shots that on faster surfaces would not have come back.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The newly-laid bright green and purple court took some figuring out and it needed regular words of wisdom from father Piotr to get her back on track.
SLOW AND UNEVEN
"It's slow and doesn't bounce very high," said Wozniacki who will finish the year at number one if she wins two round-robin matches and reaches the final.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's sticky and you feel it in the legs. It's a little bit uneven too. But for me I like it. You just need to be prepared for longer matches."
That bodes ill for her rivals this week as she looked full of running against Radwanska who needed a medical time-out for a shoulder injury early in the second set.
As Radwanska had her shoulder taped up, Wozniacki's father and coach spent several minutes gesticulating at his daughter as he got his point across and there is no doubt it worked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He just said you should be the one deciding where to play the ball, just step into the court a little bit," she said of the fatherly pep talk which is allowed under WTA rules.
Wozniacki plays Vera Zvonareva on Wednesday in her second round-robin match while Radwanska will enjoy a day off after a hectic recent run.
The Pole also struggled to get to grips with the court.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's pretty slow, it's weird bounces and it's very sticky so it's hard to run," she said.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)