Five years passed between Caroline Wozniacki’s first US Open final and her second, and another three have ticked by ahead of Saturday night’s Grand Slam decider No.3.
Following her 6-3 6-3 loss to Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows back in 2014, Wozniacki lamented not having more of a chance against the great American. “Hopefully,’’ she said, “I’ll get another one in Australia.’’
So now she has that opportunity, albeit one that has taken a fair bit longer than the popular Dane would have wished. And instead of the fearsome Williams across the net, there will be, in Simona Halep, another competitor who has fallen short on one of the sport’s biggest occasions twice before.
Someone else with a trophy full of silverware but missing one of the four most coveted prizes. Someone else who knows what it is to be world No.1 without the validation that a major singles title provides. To hear their credentials being questioned amid yet another surely-there’s-something-wrong-with-the-rankings-system debate.
Wozniacki occupied top spot for 67 weeks in 2010 and 2011, with counter-punching consistency her calling card but the recurring knock her lack of a big shot. She has worked to add heft to her serve and forehand and develop a more attacking mindset, while believing that with experience comes a better ability to read the play. And despite having added “a few things” to her game, the 27-year-old says she has retained its sturdy foundations.
Indeed, while believing that luck is generally a product of preparation and effort, she also knows that being down 1-5 and 15-40 in the third set of her second round and facing two match points against Jana Fett meant she was perilously close to being out.
“But I think once you get past that, you're basically playing with house money, as they say. You have nothing to lose,’’ Wozniacki said. “From that point on everything was a plus. So every round I made was an extra plus, an extra opportunity. I'm just thankful that I managed to fight my way through that one.
“I could have been home already. But now I'm here and I fought my way all the way to the finals. I'm just really proud of that and really excited. A new opportunity on Saturday, and I'm going to do my best to try and win it.’’
There has already been a Melbourne Park redemption of sorts for the loss that devastated her more than any other: the 2011 semi-final against Li Na. Wozniacki has spoken at length of her inability to convert a match point on her serve in the second set, of being haunted by her failure that day, and of thinking about it again when so close to the finish line in when up 6-3 5-4 against Belgian Elise Mertens on Thursday.
She wobbled, served two double faults, had to save two set points at 5-6. Then took a few deep breaths and steadied those shaky legs in the tiebreak. Phew. “I'm really happy and proud of how I've managed to turn things around when things weren't going my way and keep it up whenever it was going my way,’’ the second seed said afterwards.
“Regardless of what happens now, I've done my best. When you go out there on Saturday, you have everything to win.’’
Her 23-year-old self said after receiving a second runners-up trophy in New York in 2014 that she felt she was on the right path. For Wozniacki, one that has also been long and winding has now brought her to a third opportunity she said she was always convinced would arrive.
“I always believed in myself,'' she said. "I had a tough period where I had a few injuries. That was kind of hard and tough mentally. But once I got past that, I knew that if I can stay healthy and I work hard, my game is good enough for it.
“I was just giving myself time. I think if you don't feel like you can go all the way in tournaments, then to me there's no sense in playing. So for me it's always I want to be competitive, I want to be the best, and that's why I'm still playing.’’