US Open Day 5: Climbing Rung by Rung

Curtain Call

Player: Aleksandra Wozniak

Nation: Canada

Age: 21

Current Ranking: #39

Notable Conquest: Amelie Mauresmo (France), 17th seed

Tour Page: http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/page/Player/Info/0,,12781~9813,00.html

Today's Match: loss to Flavia Pennetta (Italy) in straight sets: 6-1, 6-1

There's no denying it. Ms. Wozniak got tuned today by the 10th seeded Pennetta. But there's also no denying she had a successful tournament overall. In round 2, she took out Mauresmo, a player who, I will grant you, is a shadow of her former self. But she's still a seed and taking out a higher ranked player is always good.

And with her third round finish, Wozniak is likely to be a seed herself in Slams to come. To improve one's ranking points, a player must better the previous year's performance in a given week. Last year, Wozniak lost in the first round of the US Open. First to third may not seem like much but if it's enough to propel her into the top 32 in time for the Australian Open, it could mean a seed in Melbourne.

Wozniak is currently the highest ranked Canadian singles player. She is young, turning 22 on Sunday. Perhaps today's undoubtedly brutal loss will motivate her in future tournaments.

By my count, there are seven matches tomorrow pitting seeded players against one another. Sounds like a great day on the grounds to me!