HALEP AND WOZNIACKI READY FOR MELBOURNE SHOWDOWN
▶ One of the pair will win their first grand slam at conclusion of Australian Open final
Simona Halep survived a three-set thriller against Angelique Kerber yesterday to set up an Australian Open final against Caroline Wozniacki tomorrow where the No 1 ranking will be on the line.
After Wozniacki withstood a major wobble with the finish line in sight to beat Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-6, Halep defeated title favourite Angelique Kerber 6-3, 4-6, 9-7.
The final will be a clash between the top two seeds, who share more than simply proximity in the rankings.
Both have been ranked No 1 without winning a slam, both lost their first two finals at this level and, in the second half of their careers, both know they may never get a better chance.
Halep goes in as the holder of the No 1 ranking but has made no secret that a slam title is her big goal.
“It’s bigger than number one,” she said. “It’s my dream, to win a grand slam title. But it’s always tough when you are close. I had this opportunity two times. The last one was very close.
“Maybe Saturday I will be better. And if it’s not going to happen Saturday, I will stay strong and I will keep thinking and dreaming for others.”
Halep has reached two grand slam finals before, both at the French Open. She lost to Maria Sharapova in 2014 and then led Jelena Ostapenko in both the second and third sets last year only to lose.
If the final has anywhere near the quality and drama of the third set of Halep’s match against Kerber, then Rod Laver Arena is in for a treat tomorrow.
Halep served for the match at 5-3, missed two match points in the following game and then saved two match points herself at 5-6 before finally clinching her fourth opportunity.
She goes into the final having saved five match points across two different contests after repelling three in her 15-13 final set triumph over Lauren Davis in the third round.
“I was not afraid of losing,” Halep, 26, said. “I won those balls, and then I got the confidence back that I’m still alive and I can do it.”
Wozniacki’s victory over Mertens looked set to be routine until the Dane served for the match at 5-4.
Memories of her only previous semi-final in Melbourne in 2011, when she held match point against Li Na only to lose, came flooding back and Wozniacki lost 11 of 12 points before saving two set points and going on to win the tie-break.
Both of the 27-year-old Dane’s previous slam finals came at the US Open where she lost to Kim Clijsters in 2009 and Serena Williams in 2014.
Wozniacki, the second seed, has also survived going to the brink in Melbourne this year.
In her second round match, Wozniacki recovered from 5-1 and 40-15 down to beat Jana Fett.
“You live and you learn, and you try again. They knock you down, you come back up,” Wozniacki said.
“I think it’s been a great two weeks so far. I’m really happy and proud of how I’ve managed to turn things around when things weren’t going my way and keep it up whenever it was going my way.
“I’m just excited. It’s another finals. Regardless of what happens now, I’ve done my best. When you go out there on Saturday, you have everything to win.”