Halep sets up duel against Wozniacki

MELBOURNE, Australia — For the second time in the tournament, Simona Halep faced match points and knew one mistake would mean an exit from the Australian Open and the likely loss of her No. 1 ranking.

For the second time in just over a week, she attacked rather than take the safe approach. The 26year-old Romanian saved two match points and needed four of her own against 2016 champion Angelique Kerber before winning 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 Thursday in the semifinals.

Halep will face No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki in the final on Saturday, with one of them guaranteed to win her first Grand Slam title. The winner will also be No. 1 when the next rankings are released. Wozniacki, who beat Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-6 (2) in 11⁄2 hours in the first semifinal, hasn’t held the top ranking in six years.

For Halep, playing in her first Grand Slam as the top-seeded player, it’s a first major final beyond the clay courts of Roland Garros. She lost French Open final to Jelena Ostapenko last year and to Maria Sharapova in 2014.

For Wozniacki, it’s her first Grand Slam final outside of America.

Marin Cilic is also enjoying his run, following up his quarterfinal upset against top-ranked Rafael Nadal with a 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over No. 49 Kyle Edmund. After reaching the Australian final in his 10th attempt, the 2014 U.S. Open champion will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal match between defending champion Roger Federer and Hyeon Chung.

Cilic is in exclusive company at the Australian Open. With his win, Cilic became only the second man from outside the “Big Four” to reach the final at the season-opening major in a decade.

Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have dominated the men’s final since 2009, with only 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka breaking the quartet’s occupation of the championship match.

“I’m feeling really, really good physically,” he said. “I played a great tournament so far with my level of tennis.”