McIlroy chips in to help with Wozniacki mindset

Wozniacki and McIlroy, the US Open champion, became an item last summer and have since tried out each other’s specialist sport.

And while Wozniacki admits she remains a golf novice, she has noticed areas of McIlroy’s psychological approach which struck a chord.

After winning through to the third round of the Australian Open yesterday with a hard-fought 6-1 7-6 (7/4) defeat of Anna Tatishvili, she said: “It’s that you can’t really do anything about the past, you just need to look forward.

“You have a tournament now and you want to do your best. If it goes well then great, if not you have the next one. It’s like tennis, it’s important not to dwell too much in the past.”

While McIlroy made a major breakthrough last year by winning the US Open, shortly after imploding at the Masters, Wozniacki is still seeking her first grand slam title.

And she appeared in trouble yesterday when after winning the first set with ease she fell 4-1 down in the second with Tatishvili growing in self-belief.

But the Dane levelled it up and took it to a tie-break which she won to advance to a meeting with Monica Niculescu.

Earlier, Kim Clijsters and Li Na, last year’s champion and runner-up respectively, eased into the third round, dropping just five games between them.

Li was first on Rod Laver Arena and brushed aside home hope Olivia Rogowska 6-2 6-2. Clijsters was even more ruthless in dispatching Frenchwoman Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-0 6-1.

Li, seeded fifth, dropped serve early but responded with three breaks of her own to cruise through the first set. She then claimed the Australian wild card’s serve twice more.

Clijsters also broke five times, proving the hip injury which forced her out of the Brisbane International is on the mend.

Clijsters will next meet Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova, who beat Lesia Tsurenko 4-6 6-4 6-3, while Li takes on Anabel Medina Garrigues, a 6-1 6-0 victor over Olga Govortsova.

Tenth seed Francesca Schiavone is out, along with Peng Shuai, seeded 16. Eight seed Agnieszka Radwanska, 13th seed Jelena Jankovic and 20th seed Daniela Hantuchova advanced.