Caroline Wozniacki is a woman of many parts - part-time actress, magazine cover girl and marathon runner among them. Now, after more than a decade of dedicated striving, she is a grand slam champion too.
It is hardly unusual for a major winner to fall on their back and weep after clinching a match point. These fortnights bulge with intensity, after all. But Wozniacki’s emotions were particularly raw, because of the long and winding road that has carried her to this point, and the number of naysayers she has proved wrong.
“That’s one of the most positive things about all of this,” said Wozniacki, after her 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Simona Halep. “I'm never going to get that question – 'when are you going to win a slam?' – ever again. Now I'm just waiting for the question, ‘When are you going to win the second one?’
“It was such a tough grind,” Wozniacki added. “It was very hot out there. I think both of us were very tired in the end. At the same time we fought our hardest, and I'm very proud to be here with the trophy.”
At this point, Wozniacki turned to the gigantic silver tureen that is the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, and said, “Daphne here is going home with me tonight. I'll be cuddling with her.”
At the post-match ceremony, Wozniacki reserved her warmest thanks for her father Piotr – the only coach she has ever really trusted – and her fiancé David Lee. As a former NBA basketball star, Lee has become an advisor as well as an emotional support, and she credited him for calming her down before the match.
Caroline Wozniacki won her first Grand Slam title, and went to the top of the women’s rankings, after beating Simona Halep in an excellent Australian Open final
MELBOURNE - Caroline Wozniacki keluar sebagai juara di turnamen Grand Slam Australia Terbuka 2018. Pada laga final yang berlangsung di Rod Laver Arena, Sabtu (27/1/2018), petenis cantik asal Denmark itu berhasil mempermalukan Simona Halep dalam pertarungan sengit tiga set 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 Pertandingan yang mempertemukan petenis wanita peringkat satu dan dua di dunia merupakan peristiwa langka terjadi. Karena itu, Wozniacki maupun Halep sama-sama mempertontonkan penampilan terbaiknya di lapangan keras. Namun berbicara mengenai pengalaman, Wozniacki memang difavoritkan dan dia berhasil menjawab dukungan itu dengan sebuah gelar. Ini merupakan trofi bergengsi pertama yang diraih petenis berambut pirang di Australia Terbuka. Ratu Tenis Dunia Mantan kekasih Rory McIlroy dua kali mempermalukan Halep hanya dalam tempo waktu yang singkat. Pertama, Wozniacki menyudahi perlawanannya di final. Kedua, Halep bakal kehilangan statusnya sebagai ratu tenis dunia dan Wozniacki bakal mengambil alih label tersebut. Asosiasi Tenis Wanita (WTA) akan mengonfirmasi status baru Wozniacki pada Senin, (29/1/2018). Beralih ke pertandingan partai puncak. Dengan hasil positif ini, Wozniacki menerima hadiah sebesar 4 juta dollar Australia (AUD). Sementara Halep mendapatka 2 juta AUD. (bep)
IT TOOK Caroline Wozniacki 43 majors and two failed attempts in finals before finally claiming her first Grand Slam singles title.
One of the first things she did as a champion was apologize to top-seeded Simona Halep following her 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 win in the Australian Open final on Saturday night.
Wozniacki, 7 years after appearing in her first Grand Slam final at the 2009 U.S. Open, can remove the “but never won a major” footnote that has long been associated with her career.
That winning feeling. Photo: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Source: AP
Final Complete E. Makarova (2) E. Vesnina (2) 4 3 T. Babos (5) K. Mladenovic (5) 6 6 Visit Match Centre Complete S. Halep (1) 6 2 6 4 C. Wozniacki (2) 7 7 3 6 Visit Match Centre Complete O. Marach (7) M. Pavic (7) 6 6 J. Cabal (11) R. Farah (11) 4 4 Visit Match Centre T. Babos (5) R. Bopanna (5) G. Dabrowski (8) M. Pavic (8) Visit Match Centre R. Federer (2) M. Cilic (6) R. Federer $1.24 M. Cilic $4.40
“I’m sorry I’m just taking a second to hug Daphne,” she said of the trophy for the women’s singles champion.
“I dreamt of this moment so many years, to be here now it’s a dream come true.”
She’ll also regain the top ranking for the first time in six years, a record between stints at No. 1 in the Open era, in another benefit of beating the top- seeded Halep.
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Wozniacki wins 2018 Aus Open 1:06
Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” played over the stadium speakers as the 27-year- old Danish player carried the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup around Rod Laver Arena.
Wozniacki lost two U.S. Open finals - in 2009 and 2014 - and Halep lost two French Open finals before their meeting at Melbourne Park.
It was the first time in the Open era that players ranked No. 1 and 2 were meeting in a major final without either having won a Grand Slam title. So the pressure was on.
Woz bests Halep in epic rally 0:54
It was the first time in the Open era that both Australian Open finalists had saved match points before reaching the final, so in some ways the pressure was off.
In Halep’s case, she was the first time a player to have saved match points in multiple matches to reach the final.
“I know that today is a tough day,” Wozniacki said to Halep.
“I’m sorry I had to win today but I’m sure we’ll have many matches in the future.
“Incredible match, incredible fight. And again, I’m sorry.”
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
Halep, who was playing with an injured left ankle and had rallied from a break down in the third set to lead 4-3 when Wozniacki took a medical time out to have her left knee taped, just ran out of steam.
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“It’s not easy to talk now, she played amazing,” Halep said.
“It’s been a great tournament for me. I started not very well with the ankle injury. 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.
“Sad that I couldn’t make it the third time, maybe the fourth time will be with luck.” Wozniacki is the third first-time major winner in the last four Grand Slam tournaments.
Simona Halep lost no friends. Photo: AAP Image/Narendra Shrestha Source: AAP
Defending men’s champion Roger Federer plays Croat Marin Cilic in the men’s final on Sunday.
The Swiss ace, who leads Cilic 8-1 in their previous meetings, is targeting an incredible 20th Grand Slam title and his sixth in Australia.
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Wozniacki wins Aus Open 3:56
Meanwhile, American Sebastian Korda has claimed a unique place in sporting history with victory in the Australian Open junior boys’ final on Rod Laver Arena.
Korda beat Taiwan’s Chun Hsin Tseng 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in Saturday’s final - 20 years after his father Petr won the men’s championship on the very same court at Melbourne Park.
In an incredible sporting treble unlikely to be repeated, Korda’s 24-year-old sister Jessica also won the 2012 Australian Open women’s golf championship at Royal Melbourne.
Korda’s victory denied Taiwan a rare double after En Shuo Liang earlier defeated France’s Clara Burel 6-3 6-4 in the Australian Open junior girls’ singles final on Margaret Court Arena.
In the men quad wheelchair final, Aussie Dylan Alcott claimed a remarkable fourth straight title, taking down American world No.1 David Wagner in straight sets.
— with AAP
ORDER OF PLAY (from 1pm AEST)
Rod Laver Arena
Sebastian Korda def Chun Hsin Tseng 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 (junior boys’ final)
Dylan Alcott def David Wagner 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 (quad wheelchair singles final).
2-Carolina Wozniacki def 1-Simona Halep(women’s singles final) 6-7(7-2) 3-6 6-4
7-Oliver Marach/Mate Pavic v 11-Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah (men’s doubles final), 6-4, 6-4
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