(REUTERS)-Caroline Wozniacki became the first Dane to be crowned world number one when she beat Czech Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open. The 20-year-old dethroned American Serena Williams, who has not played since winning her 13th grand slam title at Wimbledon in July, when Kvitova smacked a service return into the net.
A jubilant Wozniacki held her arms aloft in celebration as Tina Turner’s hit “Simply the Best” blasted out of the PA system in Beijing’s Olympic tennis centre.
“Being number one has always been a dream for me,” a beaming Wozniacki told the cheering crowd after being presented with an oversized number 1 made of flowers.
The Dane become the 20th woman to top the standings since their inception in 1975. However, Wozniacki is the third player in the last two years to have reached the pinnacle of tennis without winning one of the four grand slam titles.
Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic and Russia’s Dinara Safina are still without a major title despite topping the rankings in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
At 4-1 up in the first set, Wozniacki dropped two games before overpowering Kvitova – but only after a quiet word from her father.
With the score at 5-3, Piotr Wozniacki came on to the court to spur on his daughter.
“He told me to try to get a lot of first serves in. He said she’s still there, that she’s a good player. So I should just keep fighting no matter if she comes back or not,” Wozniacki said.
The Liverpool football supporter was quick to defended her achievement from the critics of the ranking system.
“A grand slam is definitely my next goal now that I’ve achieved becoming number one in the world – one of my big dreams,” she said.
“I’m still young, so I still have a lot of time ahead of me. I’ve had a fantastic season, and I think I can be proud of this. It’s an incredible feeling for me right now to say that I’m number one in the world,” she added.
Wozniacki next faces former number one Ana Ivanovic in Beijing.
Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, said winning a grand slam tournament had brought her more satisfaction than the top ranking.
“I remember when they told me I was going to be number one, and I was very, very excited about it,” the 22-year-old Serbian said.
“But I remember I was even more hungry to win a grand slam. Grand slams definitely bring more satisfaction. If I’m never number one again but win another few grand slams, I’ll be more than happy.”