Wozniacki captures her first major title
MELBOURNE, Australia — For all her success in tennis, from holding the No. 1 ranking for more than a year to winning 27 titles, one question had plagued Caroline Wozniacki’s career.
Did she have what it takes to win a major?
It took 43 Grand Slam tournaments and two failed attempts in finals before Wozniacki ended her drought with a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 win over top-seeded Simona Halep in the Australian Open final on Saturday. Only three women have taken longer to achieve their major breakthrough, a list topped by 2015 U.S. Open winner Flavia Pennetta (49).
“One of the most positive things about all of this — I’m never going to get that question again,” the 27-year-old Wozniacki said as she clung to the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. “I’m just waiting for the question: ‘When are you going to win the second one?’ ”
So more than eight years after appearing in her first Grand Slam final at the 2009 U.S. Open — a straight sets loss to Kim Clijsters — Wozniacki has finally erased the “but never won a major” footnote on her resume.
“Obviously adding a Grand Slam to my CV is what caps it off, shows my whole career as a whole,” Wozniacki said.
She’ll also regain the top ranking next week for the first time in six years — beating Serena Williams’ record of five years, 29 days between stints at No. 1 on the women’s tour — in another benefit of beating the top-seeded Halep. Wozniacki lost two U.S. Open finals — in 2009 and 2014 — and Halep lost two French Open finals before their meeting at Melbourne Park.
It set up a first major final in the Open era between players ranked No. 1 and 2 who had never won a Grand Slam title.
Also, it was the first time that both Australian Open finalists had saved match points en route to the final.
In Halep’s case, she was the first player who had saved match points in multiple matches. She saved triple match point in the third set to beat Laura Davis 15-13 in the third set of her third-round match. She also saved match points in her semifinal against Angelique Kerber.
Wozniacki saved match points in her second-round win over Jana Fett and said from then on she was “playing with the house money.”
So both players rolled the dice in the 2-hour, 49-minute final, which featured long, absorbing rallies, some gritty defence, a combined 65 clean winners and 10 service breaks.
“I know that today is a tough day,” said Wozniacki, acknowledging Halep’s quest for a major. “I’m sorry I had to win today, but I’m sure we’ll have many matches in the future. Incredible match, incredible fight.”
Halep was playing with an injured left ankle, needed treatment for dizziness in the second set and had rallied from a break down in the third set to lead 4-3 when Wozniacki took a medical time out to have her left knee taped. In the end, she just ran out of steam.
“It’s not easy to talk now,” Halep said. “It’s been a great tournament for me. Sad that I couldn’t make it the third time, maybe the fourth time will be with luck.”
“I can still smile. I cried, but now I’m smiling,”
Wozniacki is the third firsttime major winner in the four Grand Slam tournaments since Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open.
Williams chose not to defend the title after taking time out following the birth of her first child in September.
She didn’t watch the game, saying she gets too nervous, but Williams tweeted to congratulate her good friend Wozniacki. “New number one and Aussie Open champ. So awesome. So happy. Are those tears? Yup they are.”
Wozniacki had never won a set in a major final until she went on a roll late in the opening tiebreaker, having wasted a chance to serve for the set at 5-3.
Halep rallied in the second, on either side of treatment from the trainer for her blood pressure to be checked amid the hot and humid conditions.