At long last, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki takes home her maiden Grand Slam title and returns to World No.1 for the first time in five years, outlasting top seed Simona Halep in three grueling sets, with a 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4 win.
The second seed won to finally land a major title at the 43rd attempt.
The victory at the Australian Open means the 27-year-old will replace Halep as number one in the world rankings on Monday.
Twice a runner-up at the US Open, Wozniacki becomes the first Dane to win a Grand Slam singles title.
"I dreamt of this moment for so many years, and to be here today is a dream come true, "Last but not least, I want to thank my dad who has been there since I was seven," said Wozniacki."We've had ups and down, but you've been there every step of the way."
Both women were playing their third Grand Slam final and their first Down Under. Wozniacki showed the form that took her to last year's WTA Finals Singapore when it mattered most, recovering from a break down in the final set to triumph in two hours and 49 minutes.
Halep had been to the brink multiple times throughout the fortnight, saving match points against both Lauren Davis and Angelique Kerber in the semifinals. Fighting back from 5-2 down in the opening set, she hit the Danish Wall in the ensuing tie-break, as Wozniacki rolled onward with four break point chances on Halep's serve early in the second set, the players had endured testing paths to the final, saving match points along the way, and at times looked on the point of exhaustion in a gripping final set.
With Halep now serving to stay in the contest, Wozniacki's brilliant defensive skills eventually forced an error on match point, leaving the Dane flat out and tearful on the Rod Laver Arena court.
12 years. 67 weeks as world No.1. 811 matches. The wait is over for Caroline Wozniacki!.
In the Women’s Doubles
The reunion of Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic opened with major success right from the start whit a Grand Slam title.
The fifth-seeded Hungarian/French pairing shocked Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, 6-4, 6-3, to claim the 2018 Australian Open Women’s Doubles title in their very first tournament back together since they ended their partnership after the WTA Finals in 2015.
"We started again after two years off, and to start with a win here in Australia is an incredible feeling," Babos said, during the trophy presentation.
"I was in tears, for sure, and it’s just amazing to play with you," she told her partner, said Timea Babos.
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