Wonderful Woz displays wizardry on and off the court

NEW YORK -- She's the Wonderful Wizard of Woz, a beautiful blend of blonde hair and big backhands who has opponents running and paparazzi chasing.

Caroline Wozniacki has been taking no prisoners and very little time on what Thursday became her summer of love -- or double bagels, if you prefer.

Caroline Wozniacki has lost just two games in her first two matches. (AP)

The lady already enthralled the Yale football team, which appeared in home blue jerseys to show their support during last week's Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Conn., which she won for a third straight year. Now she's impressing everyone else, especially those unfortunate enough to play her.

The fourth day of this 2010 U.S. Open that person was Kai-chen Chang of Taiwan, whom The Woz whipped, 6-0, 6-0, or, in tennis terms, six-love, six-love.

That came in the wake of her opening-round romp in the wee hours Wednesday morning, when Wozniacki swept past Chelsey Gullickson, 6-1, 6-1.

Two matches, a total of two games lost. The lady is hot.

In more ways than one -- the 16 victories in 17 matches since Wimbledon; the photos of her in an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, black-edged white bikini taken when she and some friends were on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius and, naturally, posted on the Web.

When you've got it ... well, she does do modeling, so it's all part of the business.

Wozniacki came into this Open as the No. 1 seed, and so far she has exceeded her seeding, needing only 61 minutes to dispose of Gullickson, daughter of former major league pitcher Bill Gullickson, and then just 47 minutes to figuratively toss a shutout at Chang.

When someone stupidly wondered if these Usain Bolt-speed victories wouldn't make her "match prepared for tougher tests," Wozniacki had a ready response.

"I've played tough matches in my previous weeks," she said. "I've been playing great tennis. I'm feeling good. No worries."

If you were 20, gorgeous, had won three tournaments (Copenhagen, Montreal and New Haven) since the beginning of August and had been a finalist in last year's Open, you wouldn't have any worries, either.

More U.S. Open

Day 4: Teenager Capra into third round Federer cruises in straight sets Fan altercation leads to play delay Notes: Wozniacki wins 6-0, 6-0 Brackets: Women | Men Past champs: Women | Men

The Yale thing is interesting. According to George Vecsey of the New York Times, Wozniacki gave a motivational talk to the footballers in 2009 -- curious for someone born in Denmark of Polish parents. The players en masse showed up at the Pilot Pen, jerseys but no pads, forming a Wozniacki cheering section and posing for photos.

Maybe it's not that curious. Wozniacki's father, Piotr, was a football player of a different sort, a star of the Polish soccer team who then moved to Denmark for a job and never left. Her mother played for the Polish women's national volleyball team.

Good genes. Good determination. A great Dane.

"I felt great out there today," was her summation of blitzing Chang. "It's nice to be the No. 1 seed and, you know, nice to play at the big stadium. It's a great atmosphere."

The big stadium is Arthur Ashe Stadium, seating capacity 22,500, where the music plays during changeovers and the fans are almost -- almost -- as raucous as at the Mets' Citi Field across the train tracks.

Tennis at Wimbledon is "Quiet, please." Tennis in New York is "The gang's all here."

"I love New York," said Wozniacki. "I love the atmosphere on court. I like that the crowd is loud but respectful."

Wozniacki is a reason to be both. She has worked her way to the No. 2 spot in the rankings, behind Serena Williams. It's been a steady climb.

"I want to win, definitely," she said about the Open, "but I don't think ahead, I don't think about disappointments or what would make me happy. I never look at the draw and say, 'I'm going to play this girl.' I mean, you never know what is going to happen."

What has happened is, even without a Grand Slam, Wozniacki has become a prime subject of media articles, some of which don't especially deal with her game. The Wall Street Journal, for one, ran a piece on her off-court workouts.

The way she has gone through two opponents in the Open, she hasn't been getting much of an on-court workout.

"My body is feeling great," she said when asked if, in her fifth tournament in five weeks, she was playing too frequently.

"I had five weeks after Wimbledon where I just practiced, and actually I almost feel that's harder than playing matches."

Particularly matches that last, in order, 61 minutes and 47 minutes.

"I really like playing matches," she said. "I would like to get in that rhythm. Especially when you're winning, you have that confidence. You're in your own bubble. You go out on court and know what to do. That's what I'm aiming for."

From her success, you figure The Woz knows. And the Yale footballers, among others, know all about the Woz.