And that is very much that. A great final ends with a new champion and a new world No1, Caroline Wozniacki returning to the top of the rankings after a six-year gap. It’s been a blast. Bye!
Caroline Wozniacki takes the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and gives a little speech of her own:
I’m just taking a second here to hug Daphne. To be here today is a dream come true. It’s a very emotional moment. The fans have been incredible all week, thanks everybody for coming out and supporting us. It’s been an incredible two weeks. Thankyou. I also want to congratulate Simona. I know today is a tough day. I’m sorry that I had to win, but I’m sure we’ll have many matches in the future. It was an incredible match, an incredible fight, and again I’m sorry. I also want to thank my fiancee (NBA ace David Lee). I was a nervous wreck this morning but you managed to calm me down.
Simona Halep accepts the runners-up plate, and gives a gracious speech:
It’s not easy to talk now but first I want to congratulate Caroline, she played amazing. It’s been a great tournament for me. I started not very well with an ankle injury, but I just wanted to give my best every match, which I did. Of course I’m sad I couldn’t win today, but Caroline was better than me. But of course I’ll fight, and I have many years to go so hopefully I will face another challenge like I did today. Thankyou guys for supporting me every day in this tournament. It’s always nice to play in front of you and hopefully I’ll see you next year, in the same position.
I’m so incredibly proud to be a part of women’s tennis in this day and age. What a tournament for both @CaroWozniacki and @Simona_Halep 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 @WTA @AustralianOpen
— Johanna Konta (@JoKonta91) January 27, 2018
The match took two hours, 50 minutes and two seconds.
Total points tally: Wozniacki 110-108 Halep.
Halep hit six aces to Wozniacki’s two, one double fault to Wozniacki’s six, 59% of her first serves in to Wozniacki’s 55% and 40 winners to Wozniacki’s 25. And she lost.
What a fine match that was. Absolutely gripping from first to last.
🤣🏆#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ilgO0ZtHSI
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2018
Updated
Caroline Wozniacki is the Australian Open champion!
Third set: Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 Halep* (*denotes server) At 30-15 Halep serves her first double fault, and at 30-30 we get another fabulous point, a long rally full of potential winners that neither player would give up on. 45 seconds of drama and guts and brilliance. Eventually, though, Wozniacki wins it with a forehand power volley, and has a championship point - and Halep hits a backhand into the net to end it!
Cant both of these ladies win 😩 they both deserve it #ausopen
— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) January 27, 2018
Third set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-6, 5-4 Halep (*denotes server) She is a fighter, is Halep. At the end of the last game she was almost doubled over, using her racket as a crutch. Never in the history of this tournament has any woman spent as long on court as she has this year. But she’s still in this match, fighting, brawling. Wozniacki, despite the recent medical time out, seems very slightly but possibly decisively fresher. Despite another double fault, her sixth of the match (Halep is still at 0), she holds to 30 and Halep will serve to stay in it.
Third set: Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6, 4-4 Halep* (*denotes server) At 0-15 three brilliant shots decide the point, a forehand crosscourt by Wozniacki, a fabulous forehand down the line by Halep when the point seemed to have gone, and then a backhand crosscourt to make sure this time it did. This game is a massive improvement, with rallies long enough for fortunes to swing one way and then the other before someone finds the killer blow. Wozniacki has a break point a 30-40, and another soon afterwards, and this one she takes. A sixth break of the set!
Now Wozniacki has the trainers on court. She’s complaining about something on her left leg, which is being taped up just below the knee.
Third set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-6, 3-4 Halep (*denotes server) At 0-15 Wozniacki drops a second serve straight into Halep’s hitting zone, and she slams it down the line for a clean winner. At 40-30 she does it again, on the same side, and this time Halep’s shot goes crosscourt, but is equally effective. So we end up at deuce, from which point Wozniacki serves two lets and then into the net, a weak second serve, into the net and a weak second serve, all of which ends with Halep, remarkably a break up!
Third set: Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6, 3-3 Halep* (*denotes server) A player holds serve! A game doesn’t go to deuce! And Halep seems to have rediscovered her inner reserve of power and focus.
Third set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-6, 3-2 Halep (*denotes server) And having won four points on the spin on Halep’s serve, Wozniacki loses the first two on her own serve, and the fourth as well, before surrendering her advantage with a forehand hit well wide, under little pressure. Obviously it’s extremely hot, and we’re nearly two and a half hours into the final, and the psychological pressure on two players yet to win a Slam must be intense, but in the last 20 minutes the quality has dipped significantly.
Third set: Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6, 3-1 Halep* (*denotes server) Before this game starts, Halep is 87-88 ahead on total points won and the players have had 10 break points each. Wozniacki moves ahead on both metrics here, the first game in which Halep hasn’t really competed at all, which ends with her being broken to love.
Third set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-6, 2-1 Halep (*denotes server) At 15-30 Halep hits a fine return, Wozniacki’s backhand down the line lands just wide, and there are two break back points. One is saved, Halep unable to return a fine forehand hit deep into the corner, and so is the second, Halep hitting her service return long. There are more break points to come and Halep eventually wins, or rather is given, the sixth of them, as Wozniacki double-faults to surrender the game.
In the first two sets combined only two games went to deuce; in this set so far all three have. This one alone has six deuces.
Third set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-6, 2-0 Halep (*denotes server) Halep comes to the net and hits a couple of poor volleys, while Wozniacki hits two poor attempted passing shots and a poor attempted lob, which sets up her opponent for an overhead winner. That point aside, despite the heat and Halep’s issues, whatever they may be, the quality remains extremely high, Wozniacki winning points with the accuracy of her groundstrokes, and Halep with the power of her own. At deuce there’s a long rally which ends with Halep hitting a crosscourt backhand six inches wide (she challenges anyway, presumably to give herself a bit of a breather), and then Wozniacki’s smart return gives her the game!
Third set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-6, 1-0 Halep (*denotes server) Wozniacki starts slowly, allowing Halep to win the first two points against serve, but improves from there. The game is briefly disturbed by the cawing of some very noisy birds. They sound like crows, but with this being Australia they’re probably pink, with spines on their backs and their babies in pouches.
Nope, Halep was out already, but hadn’t yet been shown on TV.
Wozniacki has returned. Still no sign of Halep.
Which Halep, presumably, will be very grateful for. Wozniacki’s first serve percentage in that second set was 43%, down from 72% in set one, and she’ll need to sort that out if she’s to win this.
There will be a 10 minute break now, with the heat rule in effect.
Halep takes the second set 6-3 and levels the match!
Second set: Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6 Halep* (*denotes server) Wozniacki goes 0-30 up and her return at the next point hits the top of the net when it looked a likely winner. Still, she takes the next to earn two beak points. Halep saves the first with a serve out wide and a backhand crosscourt, and the one after that with a forehand down the line. Then she takes control of her first set point, only to hit a straightforward winning forehand long. It doesn’t slow her down long: she takes her third set point, and we’ll go to a decider!
Second set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-5 Halep (*denotes server) Halep wins a point to go 15-30 up and immediately clutches her left leg. Wozniacki ends the next point with a forehand into the net and Halep limps away - but then wins the next point with a fine forehand, to go a break up! Halep may be hurting, but she’s still landing her punches.
Second set: Wozniacki 7-6, 3-4 Halep* (*denotes server) At 40-15 Halep hits a backhand that was on its way out before it clipped the net cord and spun to the right; Wozniacki reaches it but hits into the net.
Second set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 3-3 Halep (*denotes server) Another double fault from Wozniacki - her fourth; Halep has yet to produce one - makes it 15-30, but from that troublesome point the server wins three points on the spin, with, perhaps significantly, Halep engaging in no rallies of any great length.
Or significantly unwell, and very good at hiding it.
There’ll be no medical time out, though, so perhaps Halep is just slightly unwell.
Whatever the issue with Halep is, it isn’t muscular. Two medics come to court, but instead of pounding her legs they take her blood pressure and check her pulse.
Updated
Second set: Wozniacki 7-6, 2-3 Halep* (*denotes server) Another swift game, but perhaps there is a reason for the abbreviated points: at 40-15 Halep asks for a physio to be called.
Second set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 2-2 Halep (*denotes server) From 40-0 Wozniacki gives away one point, double faults the next, and only then seals the game. An almost totally different game to the last.
Halep fans: look away 🙈
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2018
Since @Wimbledon 2014 @CaroWozniacki is 33-2 in Grand Slams after winning the first set (per @raviubha).#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/RtQJot3Awj
Second set: Wozniacki 7-6, 1-2 Halep* (*denotes server) Phwoar! Surely the best shot of the match so far, another Wozniacki backhand, this time angled across court, wins the first point. In due course she gets a break point, but once there a net cord sends a decent forehand spinning slowly into the air, allowing Halep to take control of the point. The Dane gets another chance but hits her return long, and then a third, when her return, from a second serve, was poorly directed, and a fourth - after another fantastic rally and brilliant backhand winner - saved with a brutally clubbed crosscourt forehand. And, finally, a brilliantly entertaining game ends in Halep’s favour.
Second set: Wozniacki* 7-6, 1-1 Halep (*denotes server) At 15-0 Wozniacki hits a perfect second serve, landing it on the back of the line, and then wins the point with a perfect and similarly precise backhand. The depth of her groundstrokes has been pretty consistenly phenomenal, I think. She goes on to hold to love.
Second set: Wozniacki 7-6, 0-1 Halep* (*denotes server) That was the 16th set played by these players, and the first tie break. Halep hit 15 winners in the set, to Wozniacki’s nine, but still lost it. She goes 40-0 up here before a couple of good returns get Wozniacki back in the game, at which point another strong first serve wins it.
Caroline Wozniacki wins the first set 7-6
First set: Wozniacki 7-6 Halep (*denotes server) The first point is a cracker, taking Wozniacki back to the early-set era as she moves Halep around the court before moving in to strike a killer blow. When she wins the next point against serve, and - an ace later - both of those on her own serve, she’s 4-1 up. The next point is won by Halep, about five times - Wozniacki’s defence is absolutely fabulous, but she can only keep it up for so long - but the Dane plays the tie break brilliantly, again and again hitting on or close to the line, and finally she serve-volleys her way to a 6-2 lead and four set points. She takes the first!
First set: Wozniacki 6-6 Halep* (*denotes server) At 40-15 Wozniacki hits the perfect return from a limp second serve, but that point aside every first serve was in and strong, and Wozniacki had no answers. This set will be decided on a tie break.
First set: Wozniacki* 6-5 Halep (*denotes server) The game starts with a 19-shot rally, transformed by a single shot from Wozniacki, deep to Halep’s backhand, which turned a point in which she had been on the defensive into one she took control of and won. And from there, she too holds to love.
First set: Wozniacki 5-5 Halep* (*denotes server) At 15-0 Halep hits her first ace of the night, and then she immediately hits her second, helping this to become her easiest and briefest service game so far.
First set: Wozniacki* 5-4 Halep (*denotes server) An unforced error from Wozniacki gives Halep the first point, and hope. Then the Dane approaches the net and Halep hits another fine forehand, down the line this time, to win the point, and another unforced error, a forehand that sails long, gives Halep three break points. The first is saved; an ace deals with the second, but another unforced error - a backhand hit long this time - surrenders the game. She needs to stop hitting quite so often to the Halep forehand, as she keeps getting punished for it.
First set: Wozniacki 5-3 Halep* (*denotes server) At 15-0 Halep improvises a fine crosscourt forehand passing shot, which Wozniacki gets her racket to but can’t send over the net. Wozniacki’s approach wasn’t as deep as it might have been, but Halep did well enough to reach it, let alone hit a winner from it. She started the match poorly, but both her accuracy and her aggression has improved since. Can she still save the set?
First set: Wozniacki* 5-2 Halep (*denotes server) What a point! At 30-30 Wozniacki wins a 17-shot rally which both players at different times seemed to have lost but hadn’t (yet). Wozniacki does brilliantly to run down another fine forehand from Halep, who with her opponent apparently stranded then tries a drop shot, which Wozniacki somehow reaches. Halep then hits a poor lob, from which Wozniacki hits a poor overhead, but Halep sends her next shot into the net.
First set: Wozniacki 4-2 Halep* (*denotes server) When it clicks, Halep’s forehand is such a great weapon, and she repeatedly uses it to bludgeon Wozniacki out of this game. Even before this game, Halep was 6-3 up on forehand winners.
Updated
First set: Wozniacki* 4-1 Halep (*denotes server) A second double fault of the match, though this one doesn’t hurt too much, given that Wozniacki was already 40-0 up by then, and then took control of the next point as well.
First set: Wozniacki 3-1 Halep* (*denotes server) Halep very nearly loses the first point from a position of total authority, unnecessarily approaching the net and then hitting two poor volleys, the second of which was at least deep enough to trouble her opponent, though not really enough to explain her hitting the ball into the crowd, and it’ll go down as an unforced error. From there, Halep wins her first game of the match to love.
First set: Wozniacki* 3-0 Halep (*denotes server) Now that might help. From 15-0 Wozniacki serves a double fault, and then Halep wins the next point with a fine, powerful angled forehand, her best shot of the match so far. That’s as good as it gets, though: Wozniacki is playing just fabulously at the moment - serving well (double fault excepted, obviously), hitting cleanly, moving her opponent around and taking her chances clinically.
First set: Wozniacki 2-0 Halep* (*denotes server) A reversal from game one: this time there are lots of rallies, and Halep loses most of them. Wozniacki streaks to a 15-40 lead and eventually wins the game to 30, Halep’s two points coming from her one genuinely troubling first serve, and an unforced error.
First set: Wozniacki* 1-0 Halep (*denotes server) Halep won 100% of the rallies, but then there was only one of them. Wozniacki landed three great serves on the deuce side, only one of which was returned, and no first serves on the other side. Of the second serves, one was returned into the net, the other sparked a fine rally that Halep eventually won with a volley.
The warm-ups are over, and the players are ready for action. Let’s do this.
The coin has been tossed. Wozniacki has won it and chosen to serve.
The players are presented with bouquets of flowers as they had out. This strikes me as being the wrong time to give someone flowers. For a start, they’re not going to get them in water for hours. And it’s 32C out there, so not exactly cut-flower friendly. Really, they should rethink that.
And they’re on their way!
The players are on their way to court, and are currently hanging out in the little concrete holding pen where they are forced to wait before they are introduced and head out.
On court right now: the crowd is having the Australian anthem sung at them.
Morning/evening/afternoon/whatever else it might be world!
Welcome! This should be fun, right? Amazingly, this is the first time in the Open era - that is, in the last 50 years - that both finalists at a grand slam have both had to save match points on their way there. I find that astonishing, but there you go. Facts are facts. I understand that it might be very unusual, but would’t expect it to be quite that unusual. Wozniacki of course produced a ridiculous comeback from 5-1, 40-15 in the final set against Jana Fett in the second round, while Halep and Lauren Davis battled through a marathon third set in round three, which lasted two hours and 23 minutes and was eventually won by the Romanian, 15-13. Because that set went so long she has had to play a lot more tennis than Wozniacki, so you’d expect her to be well ahead on all absolute stats; instead she’s surprisingly lagging on some, for example Wozniacki has hit more backhand winners, albeit with a slender 42-40 advantage.
Anyway, here’s Simon Cambers on today’s women’s final:
And here he is again on the semi-finals:
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