World No 1 Romania's Simona Halep quelled a tenacious Angelique Kerber fightback and saved
two match points to reach her first Australian Open final with a 6-3 4-6
9-7 victory in a compelling scrap on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday Jan 25,2018
A wildly unpredictable match veered one way, then the other, before Romanian Halep ended Kerber's resistance on her fourth match point in a spellbinding deciding set that pushed both players to the limit of their endurance.
Former champion Kerber, who won only five points in losing the opening five games, was jelly-legged at times but fought off two match points in the 10th game of the third set before seeing two of her own go begging two games later.
Halep's insatiable desire for a maiden grand slam title proved the key ingredient in the end as an exhausted Kerber struck a backhand over the baseline.
She will now face Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the first Australian Open final between two players still chasing one of the four majors since 1980. To add spice to the showdown between the top two seeds, the number one ranking is also on the line.
A wildly unpredictable match veered one way, then the other, before Romanian Halep ended Kerber's resistance on her fourth match point in a spellbinding deciding set that pushed both players to the limit of their endurance.
Former champion Kerber, who won only five points in losing the opening five games, was jelly-legged at times but fought off two match points in the 10th game of the third set before seeing two of her own go begging two games later.
Halep's insatiable desire for a maiden grand slam title proved the key ingredient in the end as an exhausted Kerber struck a backhand over the baseline.
She will now face Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the first Australian Open final between two players still chasing one of the four majors since 1980. To add spice to the showdown between the top two seeds, the number one ranking is also on the line.
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