Caroline Wozniacki defends Pan Pacific Open title

TOKYO, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 24: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark poses with the winners trophy after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in the women's singles final match on day seven of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis At Ariake Coliseum on September 24, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 24: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark poses with the winners trophy after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in the women's singles final match on day seven of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis At Ariake Coliseum on September 24, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) /
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Caroline Wozniacki defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to win her third career Pan Pacific Open title. It is her first title in 2017.

Caroline Wozniacki has done it again at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan.

The former world No. 1 defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to earn her third career title at the tournament. The win also breaks her streak of runner-up finishes in 2017.

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Going into the Pan Pacific Open, Wozniacki had lost all of her six previous finals appearances this year. Meeting Pavlyuchenkova gave her a chance at redemption in Tokyo. Her opponent, however, has risen in the rankings this year and has two WTA Tour singles titles in 2017.

Caroline Wozniacki takes the finals match in straight sets, winning 6-0, 7-5.

In the semifinals, the Danish tennis star upset top seed Garbine Muguruza. The win is a major boost in momentum for Caroline Wozniacki. She has had a strong year on the WTA Tour, but breaking past the mental barrier of her six finals losses sets her up for a big finish. Overall, she has a singles match record of 53-18 in 2017.

Currently, Wozniacki is the No. 5 seed in the Race to Singapore. Her Pan Pacific Open title boosts her one position past American tennis star Venus Williams.

The performance in Tokyo was an impressive one for the former world No. 1. Her fantastic week of tennis not only featured a title and semifinal win over Muguruza, but also wins over Dominika Cibulková and Shelby Rogers. Wozniacki is now in action at the Wuhan Open. She faces Maria Sakkari of Greece on Tuesday at the tournament. WTA Tour action is heating up with the end of year finals rapidly approaching. Look for Wozniacki to continue on her current path in the coming weeks. She is the No. 4 at the Wuhan Open and should be considered a contender for the title.

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