Caroline Wozniacki ‘relieved’ after escaping with three-set win against world No.103 Jana Fett

WORLD No.3 Caroline Wozniacki was on the brink of another early grand slam exit against an opponent ranked 100 spots below her but the Dane survived two match points to pull off amiraculous comeback.

Caroline Wozniacki feeling the heat against Jana Fett. Picture: AFP

CAROLINE Wozniacki survived two match points to pull off a miraculous Australian Open comeback and keep her hopes of breaking a grand slam duck alive.

The world No.3 and tournament second seed looked done when she had her serve broken twice in the third set to little-known Croatian Jana Fett.

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Ranked 103 in the world, Fett had looked certain to cause another Australian Open boilover when she raced to a 5-1 lead in the final set, and was 40-15 serving for the match.

But Wozniacki dug deep, first saving the match points and then charging back into the match.

Caroline Wozniacki raises her arms in jubilation after surviving a huge scare against Jana Fett on Rod Laver Arena. Picture: AAP

She reeled of the last six games to escape with a 3-6 6-2 7-5 win in a match lasting 2hr 14mins on Rod Laver Arena to book her place in the third round, against either Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens or American Nicole Gibbs.

Wozniacki said she was “relieved” to avoid an early exit from the first grand slam of the year.

“That was crazy. I don’t know how I got back into the match,” Wozniacki said.

“I’ve never played her before. She’s a tricky opponent. She had nothing to lose.”

Fett twice faltered when serving for the match and a place in a grand slam third round for the first time after Wozniacki fell foul of the chair umpire for a second time early in the third set.

Wozniacki was fuming after having a point contentiously replayed before dropping serve to hand Fett a break and a 2-1 lead.

Wozniacki fought back from the brink against Jana Fett. Picture: Michael Klein

“Oh, so you’re giving her the benefit of the doubt, but you’re not giving it to me?” she asked British official Richard Haigh before dumping a volley into the net, then thrashing her racquet into the court in disgust after dropping serve.

The incident came after Haigh denied the former world No.1 a challenge for taking too long during her second-set fightback, much to Wozniacki’s disgust.

“What are you talking about? I’m hitting two hands on the backhand. What do you want me to do? Like, hit it one hand and shout,” she quizzed Haigh.

But the steadfast official was having none of it.

“You need to be faster. You can’t wait until that one bounces and then say challenge. I told you at the pre-match meeting to use your voice and not just lift your arm,” he fired back.

“You waited to see the result of your shot then you said challenge.”

Wozniacki retained her composure to win the second set and level the match, but it wasn’t long before she came under the gun again as Fett threatened to pull off what would have been the boilover of the Open.

Jana Fett was close to pulling off a massive upset against Caroline Wozniacki. Picture: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Ukrainian title favourite Elina Svitolina celebrated like she’d won the Australian Open after surviving a stern test against rising Czech Katerina Siniakova to reach the third round.

Fourth-seeded Svitolina exploded with a animated double fist pump after battling back from a set down to progress with a 4-6 6-2 6-1 triumph on Wednesday.

Siniakova, a former Australian Open junior finalist who toppled Maria Sharapova en route to the final of the season opener in Shenzhen, needed treatment for a leg complaint midway through the second set.

It was the setback Svitolina needed, with the Czech winning just one more game after the medical time-out.

Svitolina conceded it was tough going in her first appearance of the tournament on Rod Laver Arena.

“I thought I’m going to melt today. It was not easy and I was struggling a bit,” she said after the two-and-a-quarter hours work-out.

“Hopefully I can recover. I can’t wait for an ice bath.”

- with AAP