Caroline Wozniacki kept her fairytale US Open return going Friday with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Jennifer Brady that sent her into the last 16 and a potential clash with Coco Gauff.

Former world number one Wozniacki, who only returned to tennis in August from maternity leave after three-and-a-half years out, was down a set and a break but won 12 of the final 14 games. 

"As a competitor and an athlete you always want to win, and you go out there and believe in yourself," said the 33-year-old Wozniacki. 

"To actually be here in Arthur Ashe stadium in front of all you amazing people - that's a dream come true."

"I didn't think I was going to be here again. When I retired three years ago and then I had my two kids I thought I would only be watching from the outside," she added.

"But now I've done two matches in here - what an honour this is."

The Dane, a US Open finalist in 2009 and 2014, awaits either home favourite Gauff, the sixth seed, or Belgium's Elise Mertens in the fourth round.

Wozniacki, whose last appearance at the US Open came in 2019, was handed a wild card into this year's tournament.

Brady, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up, was making her first appearance in New York since reaching the semi-finals here three years ago.

She also only recently returned to the tour after being sidelined for two years by injury, during which time her ranking has plunged to 433. 

mw/rcw