Tennis | Australian Open First major title, top rank at stake in Halep-Wozniacki final

Wozniacki

Halep

Simona Halep fended off Angelique Kerber to set up a high stakes Australian Open final against Caroline Wozniacki that will have a first Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking on the line for both players.

After No. 2 Wozniacki had secured her spot in the final, top-seeded Halep raced to a 6-3, 3-1 lead in the second semi-final before Kerber rallied to force a third. Both players had chances to serve out the match, and both staved off match points in long and engrossing rallies before Halep converted her fourth match point in a 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 victory.

Halep was on a 10-match winning streak after collecting the title in Shenzhen, China, while Kerber was on a 14-match streak that included the Hopman Cup and her title run in Sydney.

“Well, definitely was very tough. I’m shaking now — I’m really emotional,” Halep said after her 2-hour, 20-minute semifinal win over Kerber, the only major winner to reach the last four. “I’m really glad that I could resist. I had two match balls and I lost them. Today I was like a roller coaster — up and down — [but] I had confidence in myself.”

For Halep, now, it’s a first Grand Slam final appearance off the clay at Roland Garros. For Wozniacki, it’s a first Grand Slam final outside of America.

Both finalists have had to save match points to reach tomorrow’s championship match.

Halep spent just shy of 10 hours on court in her first five matches, the longest of any of the semifinalists, and fended off triple match point in her third-round win over Lauren Davis that ended 15-13 in the third.

Wozniacki has had a slightly smoother run, though she had to save match points and rally from 5-1 down in the third set of her second-round win.  She also had some nervous moments in her 6-3, 7-6 (2) semifinal win over Elise Mertens.

In the tiebreaker, Wozniacki’s experience made the difference.

“Once she had set points. I thought, ‘OK, now you just have to go for it […] she’s nervous now, too,’” Wozniacki said. “I managed to just gather myself and thankfully closed it out in the end.”

The 27-year-old Dane squandered a match point in a semifinal here against Li Na seven years ago, but held her composure this time around and converted her first match point in the tiebreaker. John Pye, Melbourne, AP