WTA Premier in Stuttgart: Wozniacki battled past Halep to set up final against Kerber - UBITENNIS

WTA Premier in Stuttgart: Wozniacki battled past Halep to set up final against Kerber

By Staff
3 Min Read

Caroline Woznaicki battled past Simona Halep in three hard-fought sets with 5-7 7-5 6-2 after two hours and 58 minutes in the first semifinal of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart.

The first set started with a couple of unforced errors from Wozniacki who faced the first break point of the match. The Danish player saved it with her serve and went up 1-0 after a very long game. The match was very internse with a lot of hard-fought games

Both players went on serve in the first 11 games until Wozniacki clinched the first break of the match.

World Number 2 Halep was more consistent with her serve compared to her quarter final match against Sara Errani, but she faced two set points in the 12th game. She saved the first set point with her forehand but committed a bad error at the second opportunity when she hit her backhand into the net.

Halep broke serve twice in the second set en route to opening up a 3-0 lead. Wozniacki bounced back recovering a break to claw her way into the set for 1-3. Wozniacki managed to break back for the second time to draw level to 4-4 before holding her serve in the ninth game for 5-4.

Halep was just two points away from losing the match in straight sets as she was serving at 4-5 30-30 but she saved them with a cross-court backhand.

The 11th and the 12th games were very intense with spectacular rallies. Wozniacki went up 40-15 but Halep forced the game to deuce. The Dane saved the first break point. Wozniacki earned three break back points but Halep saved them to win the second set with 7-5 and force the match to the decider.

Halep failed to convert on two break points at the start of the third set. Wozniacki reeled off four consecutive games at 1-1 to cruise to 5-1. She missed three match points before dropping her serve as she was serving for the match. In the next game Wozniacki broke serve to clinch the third set with 6-2.

Wozniacki hit nine winners to just three unforced errors. The Danish star has reached her first Premier-level final since Moscow 2012 and her first clay final since Brussels 2011.

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