Australian Open 2018 LIVE: Simona Halep vs Caroline Wozniacki score and updates

The winner at Rod Laver Arena is not only guaranteed a long-awaited maiden grand slam title but also the world number one ranking in the game of thrones that women’s tennis has become in Serena Williams’s absence.

The final will be the first between two non-slam winners in 38 years, since Hana Mandlikova beat home favourite Wendy Turnbull in 1980.

But in a fortnight where the seeds have been scattered to the wind, Halep and Wozniacki may both feel fortunate to still be in the hunt.

In arguably the clash of the tournament, top seed Halep had to save three match points and battle back from a set down in a marathon thriller against American Lauren Davis in the third round.

Still recovering from an ankle injury, the Romanian needed to save two further match points in another three-set classic against 2016 champion Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals.

Second seed Wozniacki also had to save two match points and claw back from 5-1 down in her early round match against Croatia’s Jana Fett.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES BELOW – * denotes server

Halep 2 Wozniacki 1* (6-7)

Epic third game which ended up taking 11 minutes… and eventually it’s Halep’s.

Big-hitting from both players, extremely long rallies, it really is box office stuff out there.

And it could still go either way…

Halep 1* Wozniacki 1 (6-7)

Two holds to start the first set. Real high quality stuff here, best summed up by Greg Rusedski.

He’s just tweeted: “This is definitely a different Caroline Wozniacki. Willing to be aggressive thru out especially on the forehand side. Will this get her to win her 1st GS. Great women’s final so far.”

Wozniacki wins the first set 7-6

No she can’t. Imperious stuff from Wozniacki. She could have won this set 25 minutes ago but she finally gets over the line, winning a tie-break 7-2.

One set away from her first Grand Slam title. Still could go either way, can barely split these two.

Halep 6 Wozniacki 6

‘SIMONA, SIMONA, SIMONA’ the crowd chant. Three holds in a row and we’re into a tie-break. Halep has the momentum… can she take it into the breaker?

Halep 4* Wozniacki 5

First signs of nerves from Wozniacki. Halep holds and the Dane is serving for the set but she loses her flow.

Halep carves out three break points at 0-40 – loses the first with a wide forehand and Wozniacki sends down an ace on the second.

But it’s third time lucky as Wozniacki sends a backhand long.

Halep 2* Wozniacki 5

Halep holds then takes the opening point of the Wozniacki service game. She gets a look at a second serve but misses and the chance begins to go.

Wozniacki wins the point of the match at 30-15 – a 17-point rally – and Halep is serving to stay in the set. 24 minutes gone, it’s rapid stuff out there.

Halep holds then takes the opening point of the Wozniacki service game. She gets a look at a second serve but misses and the chance begins to go.

Wozniacki wins the point of the match at 30-15 – a 17-point rally – and Halep is serving to stay in the set. 24 minutes gone, it’s rapid stuff out there.

Halep 1* Wozniacki 4

Halep is on the board, holding to love to some warm applause from the Rod Laver Arena.

Wozniacki has started solidly, aggressively and is taking it to Halep. She holds to 15 and proceeds to put ice on her arms at the changeover.

Keeping cool? She’s on fire out there.

Halep 0* Wozniacki 3

Halep is going for her shots and showing a real aggressive mindset and she gets to 30-30. Crucial two points ahead… but both go to Wozniacki.

She takes the game with a big crosscourt winner and it’s three and easy. Smart start from the second seed.

Halep 0 Wozniacki 2*

We’re underway. Halep is traditionally a quick starter so you’d think she’d be out the blocks fast again.

But nope. Wozniacki has held serve with the opening game of the match before then breaking. Great start from the, err, great Dane.

Match starts at 8.30am

So play starts at 8.40am, remember. Halep is unbeaten this season and has shown plenty of fight en route to the final, most notably in her third-round win over American Davis and the semi-final victory over Kerber.

The second-seeded Dane has displayed plenty of determination in close matches against Croatia’s Jana Fett in the second round and Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter-final.

Wozniacki has beaten Halep four times in their six career meetings, including their last three matches.

Route to the final –  Wozniacki

First round: beat Mihaela Buzarnescu (Romania) 6-2 6-3

Second round: beat Jana Fett (Croatia) 3-6 6-2 7-5

Third round: beat 3-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-4 6-3

Fourth round: beat 19-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 6-3 6-0

Quarter-finals: beat Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-0 6-7(3) 6-2

Semi-finals: beat Elise Mertens (Belgium) 6-3 7-6(2)

Route to the final –  Halep

First round: beat Destanee Aiava (Australia) 7-6(5) 6-1

Second round: beat Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 6-2 6-2

Third round: beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 4-6 6-4 15-13

Fourth round: beat Naomi Osaka (Japan) 6-3 6-2

Quarter-finals: beat Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-2

Semi-finals: beat 21-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 6-3 4-6 9-7

Head-to-head record

When they last met, eventual champion Wozniacki thrashed Halep in straight sets in the round-robin phase of the WTA Finals in Singapore in October and holds a 4-2 career record over the Romanian.

But on hardcourts, the ledger is square at 2-2.

“It’s going to be a different match, new match, a tough one. Emotions are there,” Halep said.

“Pressures are there for both of us. We’ll see what is going to happen.”

Third time lucky

They will both privately burn for a breakthrough as two players who have come close but never quite been able to seal the deal.

Each have failed twice in Grand Slam finals and long played with queries about whether they have the mental fortitude to clinch one of the major trophies.

Wozniacki, who lost the 2009 U.S. Open final to Belgian Kim Clijsters and again in 2014 to Williams, laboured under the tag of “world number one without a grand slam” for the 67 weeks she was at the top in 2010-12.

Since October, 26-year-old Halep is now the holder of that dubious honour, having missed out in last year’s French Open final to Latvian teen Jelena Ostapenko and also to Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros in 2014.

In a tournament that has shaken out a raft of baseline bashers, it is two scrambling counter-punchers that have survived and now have their chance.