BBC Online :
Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki will meet in Saturday’s Australian Open final with both women hoping to finally win a first Grand Slam title.
The top two seeds make their Melbourne final debuts at 08:30 GMT.
Also at stake is the number one ranking – and Denmark’s Wozniacki, 27, would overtake 26-year-old Romanian Halep with a victory.
It is the first time in the Open era both Grand Slam finalists have saved match points en route to the final.
Halep saw off three against Lauren Davis in the third round – eventually winning 15-13 in the final set – and then saved another two against Angelique Kerber as she won the semi-final 9-7 in the decider.
“I was not afraid of losing, so maybe that’s why I won those [points],” said Halep, the first player in the open era to save match points in multiple matches one the way to a Slam final.
“Then I got the confidence back that I’m still alive and I can do it.”
Halep rolled her ankle in her opening match and it continues to cause some discomfort.
“I don’t want to think about that, to be honest,” she said. “I just want to give again everything Saturday, and after that I will have a good holiday.”
Wozniacki was on the verge of a second-round exit when she trailed Jana Fett 5-1 and faced two match points in the final set, but the Dane fought back magnificently.
‘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,” she said.
“I’m just excited. It’s another finals.”
The final pits two of the best players never to have won a Grand Slam against each other, with a major title on the line.
Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki will meet in Saturday’s Australian Open final with both women hoping to finally win a first Grand Slam title.
The top two seeds make their Melbourne final debuts at 08:30 GMT.
Also at stake is the number one ranking – and Denmark’s Wozniacki, 27, would overtake 26-year-old Romanian Halep with a victory.
It is the first time in the Open era both Grand Slam finalists have saved match points en route to the final.
Halep saw off three against Lauren Davis in the third round – eventually winning 15-13 in the final set – and then saved another two against Angelique Kerber as she won the semi-final 9-7 in the decider.
“I was not afraid of losing, so maybe that’s why I won those [points],” said Halep, the first player in the open era to save match points in multiple matches one the way to a Slam final.
“Then I got the confidence back that I’m still alive and I can do it.”
Halep rolled her ankle in her opening match and it continues to cause some discomfort.
“I don’t want to think about that, to be honest,” she said. “I just want to give again everything Saturday, and after that I will have a good holiday.”
Wozniacki was on the verge of a second-round exit when she trailed Jana Fett 5-1 and faced two match points in the final set, but the Dane fought back magnificently.
‘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,” she said.
“I’m just excited. It’s another finals.”
The final pits two of the best players never to have won a Grand Slam against each other, with a major title on the line.
