Marathon match OK, marathon no way—Errani

Sara Errani, of Italy, reacts after defeating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, of Croatia, during the fourth round of the 2014 U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014, in New York. AP

NEW YORK — Don’t count Italy’s Sara Errani, an indefatigable runner on court, among the tennis players thinking of emulating Caroline Wozniacki’s plan to run the New York City Marathon.

“Never. I hate running,” Errani declared, after running down almost every ball that came her way in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni on Sunday that put her into the US Open quarterfinals.

Denmark’s Wozniacki says her training for the November marathon, which she will run for charity, has helped her on-court fitness.

“Obviously you get into great shape,” she said. “Mentally as well, you have to push yourself every day and go out, work hard. So it’s only a positive when you go out on the tennis court.

“You know you can run out there all day if you want to, if you need to.”

Errani just doesn’t see the appeal.

“On court, yes, but running like this all the time, slowly — four hours, five hours. I cannot do that.”

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