The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Halep and Wozniacki to battle it out in final
Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki will do battle in the Australian Open final tomorrow with a first Grand Slam title and the world number one ranking at stake.
After Wozniacki withstood a major wobble with the finish line in sight to beat Elise Mertens 6-3 7-6 (7/2), Halep defeated title favourite Angelique Kerber 6-3 4-6 9-7, with the third set a battle of lung-busting brilliance.
The final will be a clash between the top two seeds who share more than simply proximity in the rankings. Both have been ranked number one without winning a Slam, both lost their first two finals and, heading into the second half of their careers, both know they may never get a better chance.
Halep achieved the bigger result in the semi-finals, beating the form player of 2017, former Melbourne champion Kerber, who went into the clash on a 10-match winning streak.
Halep said: “It definitely was very tough, I’m shaking, I’m very emotional. She’s a very tough opponent. I’m really glad that I could resist and I could win this match. I have just to enjoy.
“I had just confidence in myself.”
All seemed to be going smoothly for Wozniacki against surprise package Mertens in the first match until she served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and from 30-0 lost four straight points, doublefaulting on the last of them.
Wozniacki then had to save two set points but, seven years after holding match point in the last four here against Li Na and losing, she engineered a different outcome.