(elu sports ) - Second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled back from 4-1 down in the third set to scrape past American Vania King 5-7 6-2 6-4 at the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Friday.The 19-year-old Dane broke her unseeded opponent in the seventh and ninth games of the third set before sealing victory in two hours 28 minutes when King hit a backhand long.
"I just kept fighting for every point," a relieved Wozniacki said in a courtside interview at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after booking a third round spot at the $4.5 million event.
"Vania was playing really, really good and it was a tough match but I am so happy I came through."
King had never beaten a top-10 player in 11 previous attempts but appeared on track for the biggest win of her career when she hit a backhand down the line to take the first set.
Wozniacki came from 0-2 down in the second set by breaking King's serve in the third, fifth and seventh games to level the match, but the American gained early momentum in the third.
Hitting penetrating ground strokes from the baseline mixed up occasionally with delicate drop shots, she broke the Dane in the fourth game to lead 3-1.
King then comfortably held serve to take a commanding lead before Wozniacki steadily regained control.
Asked what her strategy had been when she trailed in the final set, the Dane replied: "I just kept thinking she still has to win eight points.
"As long as I am still there, I keep on fighting and running."
In other matches on Friday, 22nd-seeded German Sabine Lisicki made an early exit when she retired from her match against American Jill Craybas trailing 4-6 7-5 2-0.
Fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland advanced when Russian Anna Chakvetadze also retired at 6-2 5-3 while 18th seed Zheng Jie of China beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-3 7-5.
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