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Injured Nadal retires on day of upsets

January 27, 2018 22:46·
Clive Brunskill Getty Images

Clive Brunskill Getty Images

MELBOURNE-A year after opting out of qualifying for the Australian Open, Elise Mertens has reached the semifinals in her debut at the season-opening Grand Slam.

For the second time in just over a week, she attacked rather than take the safe approach.

She trains at Clijsters' academy and knew the four-time major victor was watching on TV.

Despite the setback Wozniacki, yet to win a Grand Slam, recovered well to rediscover her dominance from the baseline to secure victory after two hours and 11 minutes.

Also Friday, Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski and Croatia's Mate Pavic reached the mixed doubles final with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Brazil's Bruno Soares and Russia's Ekaterina Makarova. With stars such as Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Elina Svitolina, and Caroline Wozniacki all in action, fans had a lot of action to look forward to.

For Halep, it's a first major final beyond the clay courts of Roland Garros.

Halep, 26, survived a wild third set.

For Wozniacki, it's her first Grand Slam final outside of America.

The final will be Federer's record seventh at the Australian Open and 30th at a Grand Slam.

"Also the second set, I was 5-love down". If you don't give up, you can win the match in the end.

"Definitely was very tough".

“It was a hard match and Im really trying to enjoy the moment. "I'm glad I could resist".

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Halep twisted her left ankle in the first round, and said she'd made the decision then to risk it all at Melbourne Park and take a rest later. "She has the experience, so it's always nice to talk to her", she said of Clijsters who lifted the Australian Open crown in 2011 as well as three US Open titles.

"She seems very strong mentally, moves well and doesn't have any weaknesses", 18-time major victor Martina Navratilova said.

"I'm on a plus so far". The Belgian had 18 unforced errors to Wozniacki's six. "I want to give my best. and not think about the title". "I'm really happy and proud of how I've managed to turn things around when things weren't going my way and keep it up whenever it was going my way".

It wasn't too different for Kerber, who was the only major victor still in the women's draw after she beat Maria Sharapova in the third round. "It was just a battle at the end".

Kerber broke back in the next and saved two break points at 3-4 before breaking Halep in the next game when the Romanian struck a wayward backhand into the tramlines.

Serving to take it to a tiebreak at 5-6, Wozniacki then needed to save three set points before sealing the match in the tiebreak. "Justine, her backhand was amazing.it's one-handed but still a great shot", Mertens said. Maybe if I had been on the other side of the court, it would have been different. I decided. that I would fight for every point.

"I'm not going to say, you know, top 20 is my goal".

The 27-year-old Wozniacki squandered a match point in a semifinal here against Li Na seven years ago, but held her composure this time around and converted her first match point in the tiebreaker.

"And also, for the emotions, to see what she has to tell me or can, yeah, communicate". "I started to feel it actually after the final in Brisbane", she said, referring to the warm-up tournament she won. I was not ready to produce a good level of tennis. I had pain all the time.

"I don't remember, but I didn't think about the score. I think if you ask any player, they always have one or two matches that they'll think back on that hurt extra".

Wozniacki was the top seed that year having risen to number one in the world in 2010 and she said the defeat was crushing.

Cilic will play Kyle Edmund in the semifinals. "The last one was very close".

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