US Open Betting / Guy McCrea / 22 August 2011 /

With three consecutive defeats, Caroline Wozniacki is struggling for form. Guy McCrea assesses the world number one's prospects ahead of next week's US Open...

It might seem bizarre to think of Caroline Wozniacki being in crisis. After all, she is still the world number one, she has won a WTA-leading five singles titles this season and she also owns the most match wins of anyone on tour so far in 2011.

But make no mistake. Wozniacki is in a slump - with the US Open just one week away. For me, the Dane's decline started after she won her third WTA title of the year at Charleston in April. Sure, the world number one has enjoyed a few results since then, winning further tournaments in Brussels and on home soil in Copenhagen - but these small successes have been heavily outweighed by a large cluster of disappointing defeats.

The most damaging were obviously at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. They left Wozniacki ([19.5] to win the 2011 US Open) still to win a Grand Slam title - indeed, the Dane didn't even reach the quarter-finals at either major. The woman who narrowly missed out on this season's Australian Open final and then subsequently starred at hardcourt events in February and March has vanished. The defensive rock who was able to outlast practically anyone on the WTA has been replaced by a crumbling, panicky 20-year-old who doesn't seem to know what she wants to do on court. The major-winning know-how of her rumoured boyfriend Rory McIlroy doesn't look like it has rubbed off on Wozniacki just yet.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who didn't anticipate Wozniacki's problems continuing through the summer. Back on her favoured hardcourts, I thought she would put all those troubles behind her and go deep at one - or both - of this past fortnight's big WTA events. Instead, the world number one lost her opening match at both tournaments, to journeywoman Roberta Vinci and teenager Christina McHale.

It is tough to understand exactly why it is has all gone wrong for Wozniacki - but she does seem very unsure of how she should play and what tactics to employ. The Dane rose to the top with a defensive, counterpunching game - but with it came all those familiar, constant criticisms of her Slam-winning prospects without a more attack-minded style.

Seemingly in response to those barbs, Wozniacki has looked to make improvements to her forehand and become more aggressive during this hardcourt swing. But the only change so far has been a slew of uncharacteristic unforced errors and a lack of conviction from Wozniacki even in bread and butter shots such as her normally rock-solid backhand.

It was a strange move by Wozniacki and her team to even try and make such radical changes in-season and especially during the hectic American summer hardcourt stretch. I also wonder if she is capable of making such significant alterations to her game. Obviously, the Dane is in her comfort zone as a counterpuncher and time and again at the Slams, she has been ultimately out-hit by aggressive ball strikers. But does she really possess the ability to become one of them? Is that the solution? I'm not convinced.

Wozniacki's strength lies in her legs and in her boundless stamina. They got her to the 2009 US Open final and then to the top of the world rankings where she still is. It also brought her to the brink of reaching this season's Australian Open final. As such, trying to make such a hasty transition from total defence to all-out attack was never likely to be a wise move.

For me, it will be better for Wozniacki to return to what she does best and gradually look to build in some more attacking plays. But even if she enjoys success at this week's final WTA tune-up event in New Haven (Wozniacki is around [4.6] to win a fourth straight title there), I fear it may be too late for her to have a serious shot at the US Open.

The latest twist is that Wozniacki has now decided to hire a new coach to replace her father Piotr - although the identity of this key new addition is still unknown. It is also not clear whether the new coach will be working with Wozniacki in time for Flushing Meadows. With Kim Clijsters unable to defend her title and with questions over the form and fitness of other contenders such as Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova [11.5], this could turn out to be a huge missed opportunity for Wozniacki to end her Grand Slam duck.

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