From Georgensgmund, Bayern, Germany, January 2018
Danish Caroline Wozniacki is finally a Grand Slam champion, after securing victory
over top seed Simona Halep in her first Australian Open final, 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4.
"I think last year, already for a year and a half, I've proved that I can beat anyone out there
on court", Wozniacki said at her post-championship press conference.
"When you're in the finals, I'm not going to lie, I was really nervous before going out there on court,
but once I kind of settled in and we had the warmup, I thought, I have everything to win."
Simona Halep had an impressive comeback in the first set when, from the score 4 to 1 for Wozniacki,
she pushed the set into tiebreak.
However she was defeated in the tiebreak in the end.
Halep won the second set, 6 to 3, but she got more and more tired, while Wozniacki
seemed to manage her condition better.
In all, Caroline hit just 19 unforced errors and 25 winners in a nearly 3 hours match.
For Halep, it was another agressive display: 40 winners off-set by 46 unforced errors, accompanied
by an impressive six aces off her ever-improving serve.
Simona had more winners, but also more errors. Caroline's winners came in key moments
of the match. This, and her better physical condition were the aspects which mattered in the end.
"I was really tired", Halep said after the match. "I had so many problems at my feet, pain everywhere.
But, you know, I think I did pretty well with all the things that were going on.
After the first set, I was just out. I don't know what happened. No energy, no power.
But then I just said that I have to hit all the balls, and then I could take the second set."
<Caroline reacts after the final point>
Wozniacki had been the underdof in her first previous Grand Slam (US Open) finals, against
Kim Clijters in 2009 and Serena Williams in 2014. She had her own physical issues late
in the AO final, calling her trainer for an acute left knee injury.
<Players hug after match>
With the match in critical stage, Caroline got one last streak, earning the championship point with
a sensational rally and taking the win one point later, becoming the first from her country
to win a singles Grand Slam title.
"That was a crazy point. I think we both played very well."
"I can still smile", Halep said. "It's fine. I cried, but now I'm smiling. It's just a tennis match in the end.
But I'm really sad I couldn't win. I was close again, but the gas was over in the end."
"She was better. She was fresher. She had actually more energy in the end."
<Simona and her team>
Ranked No. 1 for 67 weeks between 2010 and 2012, Wozniacki will return to the top spot
on Monday after six years.
"I think being the new Grand Slam champion and World No. 1 sounds pretty good. I'm very excited for that.
It's a dream come true."
VIDEOS:
spiegel.de
wtatennis.com
ausopen.com
