Wozniacki sees off Suarez Navarro to reach semi-finals

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki celebrates winning her match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki marched into her second Australian Open semi-final by beating Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0 6-7(3) 6-2 in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

After a one-sided start in a midnight match at Rod Laver Arena, Wozniacki met stiff resistance from the 39th-ranked Spaniard who dug deep to save a match point in the second set before outclassing the Dane in the tiebreak.

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki shakes hands with Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro after Caroline Wozniacki wins the match. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Second seed Wozniacki steadied herself, however, raising her game to bully Suarez Navarro from the baseline and grab another three match points on serve.

Wozniacki secured victory when Suarez Navarro hit long and she will meet Belgian Elise Mertens for a place in the final.

"I knew it wasn't going to be that easy ... In the second set I had the chance to close it out so I was disappointed I didn't do that," Wozniacki, who made the semi-finals in 2011, said on-court.

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki celebrates winning her match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

"I'm just proud that I managed to stay cool and finish it off in the third set," she added. "(Mertens) has had an amazing start to the year. It's going to be a tough one but I'm excited for it."

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki reacts during her match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki signs autographs after winning her match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 23, 2018. Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain reacts during her match against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro celebrates winning the second set during her match against Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark stretches for a shot against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. REUTERS/Toru Hanai TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 23, 2018. Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark hits a shot against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Tennis - Australian Open - Quarterfinals - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2018. Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain reacts during her match against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. REUTERS/Toru Hanai