Simona Halep has defeated Angelique Kerber to reach the women’s final of the Australian Open, where she is to face Caroline Wozniacki. Later, Marin Cilic beat Kyle Edmund to advance to the final on the men’s side.Romania’s Simona Halep saved two match points in the deciding set to outlast the German 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 on Thursday to book her ticket for Saturday’s final. Halep, who needed two hours and 20 minutes to overcome Angelique Kerber in a dramatic encounter, is to face Caroline Wozniacki in the title clash.
“I’m shaking now, I’m really emotional. I’m really glad I could resist and win this match,” said Halep who, like the Dane, is targeting her first Grand Slam title. Saturday’s match will also decide who is the top women’s player when the new rankings are released.
“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 her opponent in what will be her third Australian Open final.
“I want to give my best to believe that I have the chance to win and not to think about the title. If it’s going to come, it’s going to come.”
The match between Halep and Kerber, who appears to be back on track after a disastrous 2017, was a see-saw affair, long veering one way, then the other, before Halep broke the German’s resistance to seal the victory on her fourth match point after the exhausted German fired a backhand over the baseline.
This was the 30-year-old Kerber’s first defeat of 2018 following 14 victories.
Following the match, the 2016 Australian Open winner said she was sad about the defeat, but at the same time proud of the way she had played in this and her previous matches at this year’s edition of the tournament.
“I don’t feel like I lost this match,” Kerber said. “In the ends she won it.
Earlier on Thursday, Wozniacki defeated Elise Mertens 6-3. 7-6 (7-2) to earn her place in the final.
Cilic reaches men’s final
On the men’s side, Marin Cilic defeated Kyle Edmund 6:2, 7:6 (7:4), 6:2 to advance to Sunday’s final, where he will face the winner of Friday’s match between five-time champion Roger Federer and Korea’s Hyeon Chung. This will be the sixth-seeded Croatian’s third Grand Slam final, having won the 2014 US open and losing to Federer at Wimbledon last summer.
“I feel very good,” Cilic said afterwards. “Especially in the second set I had to stay mentally focussed and play every point. The tiebreak was crucial to keep up the pressure… I have two days off now, it will be a great final on Sunday.”
