Grand Slam hoodoo about to end for one

Melbourne – Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki will each be trying to end a Grand Slam jinx when they clash in an Australian Open final today between the world’s two best players.

Both Halep (right) and Wozniacki are in their third major final – their first in Australia – and both saved match points in earlier rounds to get there.

Defeat for Romanian world No 1 Halep would see her knocked off the top ranking by the Dane, currently No 2.

Wozniacki, 27, has long carried the unwanted moniker of best player never to win a Slam, having reached the US Open final in 2009 and 2014, and first becoming No 1 in 2010.

Wozniacki slid down the rankings to 19th at the end of 2016, and even had to dismiss rumours of retirement in Melbourne a year ago.

“That was kind of hard and tough mentally. But once I got past that, I knew that if I can stay healthy and I work hard, my game is good enough for it,” she said.

Her hard work was rewarded with a renaissance in 2017, reaching eight finals – winning in Tokyo and at the season-ending WTA Finals, where she banished another hoodoo by registering a first career win over Venus Williams.

She continued her sparkling form at the start of this year and has 10 wins and only one defeat, to Julia Goerges in the warm-up Auckland final.

The Romanian has only beaten Wozniacki twice in their six previous matches, the most recent meeting ending in a 6-0, 6-2 battering by the Dane at the 2017 WTA Finals in Singapore.

“The way she’s playing, she’s not missing,” said Halep of Wozniacki. “She’s running very well. So she’s a strong opponent. I played many times. I won against her few times.

“It’s going to be a different match. Emotions are there. Pressures are there for both of us. We’ll see what is going to happen.” –