Wozniacki knocked out of Qatar Open

Caroline Wozniacki’s miserable start to the new year continued after she was knocked out of the 2014 Qatar Open by the unseeded Yanina Wickmayer in the second round.

Wozniacki, who got a first-round bye, lost 6-4, 7-5 to the Belgian on a day when another former world number one, Venus Williams, was also knocked out, losing 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 to Petra Kvitova.

Wozniacki managed just one WTA title in 2013 and was unable to go past the third round of the Australian Open. The Dane had hired Australian Open champion Li Na’s former coach, Michael Mortensen, in a bid to improve her ranking after falling to 10th in the world.