SNAPSHOT FROM DAY 11 AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN:
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Simona Halep - the steely world No.1 saved two match points and withstood a fierce baseline onslaught from Angelique Kerber to deny the German a second shot at Open glory with an epic 6-3 4-6 9-7 semi-final victory.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm shaking now. I'm really emotional to win this match." - Halep after qualifying for her first final at Melbourne Park.
STAT OF THE DAY: Halep has saved five match points this tournament, while her final opponent Caroline Wozniacki has staved off two.
TURNING POINT: Wozniacki, haunted by the memory of blowing a match point against Li Na in the 2011 semi-finals, regrouping after coughing up two double-faults while serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set to survive the tiebreaker and edge to within one win of her holy grail of a maiden grand slam crown.
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TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: The world's top-two players will square off for the trophy on Saturday night. Second-seeded Wozniacki advanced to her third grand slam final, and first in Melbourne, with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) win over unseeded Belgian Elise Mertens, who, like Kerber, had been enjoying a 10-match unbeaten run in 2018.
