There will be a new women’s champion when the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup is presented at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday. And with that, there will also be a new world No.1.
Karolina Pliskova, Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova each enter Thursday’s semifinals vying to seize that top honour. And the remaining semifinalist, Danielle Collins, can take similar pride in her own special firsts.
Already, each woman has showcased spectacular new heights to reach the final four.
Arguably none more so than Pliskova, who saved four match points against the prolific Serena Williams in an epic quarterfinal.
“Normally I’m having a lot of comebacks, but maybe like from being a set down, or a break, so nothing like this,” the Czech later smiled. “I think it’s going to be the best comeback ever so far in my life.”
The career-best performance was the third three-set win the No.7 seed has recorded at this Australian Open, others coming against Madison Brengle and Camila Giorgi in the second and third rounds.
Another key victory was Pliskova’s straight-sets progression against two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza.
“I feel better this year, I don’t know why,” said Pliskova. “I had the feeling that 2019 can be (a) good year. So far it started all good. Hopefully it can continue.
“Already last year I was feeling better (at) Grand Slams. This time I just feel somehow different and more confident. I’m not doubting myself if I win or if I lose … I just feel good.”
But so too does her semifinal opponent Osaka, who has maintained her major-winning momentum as the 2018 US Open champion with barely a glitch.
While there were sets dropped against Hsieh Su-Wei and Anastasija Sevastova, the 21-year-old was a study in composure as she easily managed world No.7 Elina Svitolina for her place in the final four.
“It feels really good,” noted Osaka, before underlining the competitive spirit that’s helped her rapid rise. “For me right now I just try to keep looking forward. So I’m not really satisfied – like I am happy that I’m here but at the same time, I want to keep going.
“There is more matches to win.”
Victory over Pliskova to reach a second major final would perhaps be especially satisfying for the ambitious young star. In 2018, Osaka’s US Open breakthrough was immediately followed by a finals run in Tokyo – where it was the Czech who halted her streak at 10 match wins.
“She’s really tough to play,” admitted Osaka, who trails the pair’s head-to-head record 1-2. “I can barely read her serve so it’s very difficult for me.”
Still, it’s at this stage of a major where overcoming monumental challenges comes into play.
Certainly that’s been the case for Kvitova, who labels this period as a “second career.”
Following her comeback from the horrific hand injury that occurred in a December 2016 home invasion, a Grand Slam semifinal has extra significance for the 28-year-old, who is the only woman remaining in Melbourne yet to lose a set.
It’s also especially pleasing given Kvitova’s failure to progress beyond the third round of a major last year. “It took me while, for sure. I never really played so well on the Grand Slams, so I'm happy this time it's different. I’m really enjoying it,” said the world No.6.
Her unseeded opponent, the 35th-ranked Collins, is similarly inspired. The American outclassed three top-20 opponents, including AO2016 champion Angelique Kerber, before her win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals. Incredibly, she’d never won a Grand Slam match until this tournament.
Having pushed Kvitova to three sets in their only other match in Brisbane at the start of the season, the 25-year-old sees the potential for another big first. “It's going to be an incredible battle and another great opportunity for me,” Collins said.
And with those opportunities are those other potential career heights for the women’s final four. Pliskova, the only woman among the group to have previously held the No.1 ranking, is focused only on title success.
“I don't want to say it means zero, but it doesn't mean the same,” she said of a No.1 return. “Right now, in this situation, (it) would not mean the same as to win the Grand Slam.”