Halep left 'shaking' after beating Kerber in Melbourne classic

Simona Halep felt her strength of character shone through in a semi-final classic with Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open final.

Published : Jan 25, 2018 15:21 IST

World number one Simona Halep
World number one Simona Halep
lightbox-info

World number one Simona Halep

Simona Halep was "shaking" after saving two match points to reach the Australian Open final at the expense of Angelique Kerber in a thrilling "rollercoaster" semi-final.

The world number one beat the resurgent 2016 champion 6-3 4-6 9-7 in a classic last-four encounter on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.

Top seed Halep failed to take two match points before saving as many and eventually came through a topsy-turvy battle to set up a showdown with Caroline Wozniacki on Saturday, when both players will be striving for an elusive first grand slam title.

The gutsy Romanian was full of pride after passing a huge mental and physical test.

"It was very tough, I am shaking now," Halep said. "She's a very tough opponent, moving well and hitting from everywhere.

"It's not easy winning two such long matches in the same tournament.

"I just had confidence in myself, I told myself to fight for every point and then rest afterwards. I tried to stay calm but today I was like a rollercoaster.

"I didn't give up, though and, if you don't give up, you can win matches. I am proud of myself."

The winner of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup this weekend will be on top of the rankings next week.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment