Simona Halep yesterday survived a three-set thriller against Angelique Kerber to set up a winner-takes-all Australian Open final against Caroline Wozniacki, where the women’s No. 1 ranking will be on the line.
Halep said that for a fleeting moment she thought “everything had gone” when facing two Kerber match points before battling past the former champion 6-3, 4-6, 9-7.
However, the tenacious Romanian stayed alive to put her No. 1 ranking up for grabs in the showdown against the second seed, with both desperate to win a maiden Grand Slam title.
Photo: AFP
“Definitely was very tough. I’m shaking now,” said Halep, who saved the match points at 5-6 on Kerber’s serve in the third set.
She confessed she was not sure how she did it.
“I don’t remember, but I didn’t think about the score. I just took point by point. I had actually two moments when I felt that the match was over,” Halep said. “I had no power anymore and everything is gone. I didn’t give up, which meant a lot, and that’s how I won the match.”
Wozniacki beat unseeded Belgian Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) after a late wobble when she was broken serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set.
“Halep, just like me, was down match points early on in the tournament,” Wozniacki said. “I think it’s exciting, because we’re both playing for the No. 1 ranking.”
Tomorrow’s final, which could be played in a forecast temperature of up to 35°C, looks set to be a grueling do-or-die clash between two players known for their tenacity and court coverage.
“I respect her a lot, and I know it’s going to be similar. I will have to run, so a very good rest after this match,” Halep said of Wozniacki. “I want to give my best ... and not think about the title. If it’s going to come, it’s going to come.”
In a see-sawing contest, Halep sprinted to a 6-3, 3-1 lead before 2016 Melbourne Park winner Kerber, seeded 21st, fought back. The Romanian finally prevailed in 2 hours, 20 minutes with her fourth match point to ensure a new name will grace the trophy.
“I tried to be calm today. It was a roller coaster, up and down,” Halep said. “If you don’t give up, you can win. I did it well. I am proud of myself.”
In her match, Wozniacki almost let Mertens back in when serving for the win at 5-4 and seemingly in complete control. Two double faults enabled the Belgian, in her first semi-final at this level on her Australian Open debut, to level at 5-5.
Serving to take it to a tiebreak at 5-6, Wozniacki then needed to save three set points before sealing the match in the tiebreak.
“It means so much to me,” the Dane said after reaching her maiden Australian Open final and her first Grand Slam decider since 2014. “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.”
The final is to be only the 17th time in Australian Open history that the first and second seeds have met for the title — first and second seeds have won eight times each.
The last time it happened was in 2015, when top seed Serena Williams beat second-seeded Maria Sharapova.
In the men’s singles, Marin Cilic dominated British hope Kyle Edmund in straight sets to become the first Croatian to reach the Australian Open final.
The world No. 6 powered into his third Grand Slam decider with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 win in 2 hours, 18 minutes on Rod Laver Arena over the unseeded Edmund to be the first man into Sunday’s final.
He is to face either defending champion Roger Federer or unseeded South Korean Chung Hyeon, who play today.
“Overall, I’m feeling really good,” Cilic said. “Now I have two days off before the final.”
It was an emphatic performance by the 2014 US Open champion, who broke Edmund’s serve four times and nullified the Briton’s powerful forehand.
The victory ensured that he will rise to a career-high of No. 3 when the new rankings come out on Monday.
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