Wozniacki reaches first Miami final

Caroline Wozniacki has finally made her first Miami Open decider.

The part-time Miami resident rallied past second seed Karolina Pliskova 5-7 6-1 6-1 on Thursday, meaning the No.12 seed will play in Saturday’s (Sunday AEST) championship match against either No.10 seed Johanna Konta or No.11 seed Venus Williams.

Wozniacki, playing in Key Biscayne for the 10th time, was clearly the fresher player.

“Fitness is something I’m working really hard on every day. It’s a huge part of my game,” Wozniacki said in her courtside interview.

The Dane wasted three set points in the opening set, then was barely challenged the rest of the way.

“It was definitely a mental grind. Having two or three set points in that first set and ending up losing it is kind of depressing but I got a good start to the second set and that got me fired up and I just kept playing,” Wozniacki said.

Wozniacki took 62 of 104 points played in the final two sets, recovering more than nicely after letting the first set get away. She won the first three games of the second set – with Pliskova giving her racket a toss afterward – and then controlled the rest of the match.

The former world No.1 went over the $23 million career-earnings mark with the win. Victory in the final y would send her to No.8 in the world.

“It’s extremely special,” said Wozniacki. “Having a place here, training here in the off-season, playing kind of on home advantage, it’s special to be in my first finals here. I’m extremely excited.”

It was a rematch of the final at Doha earlier this year, one that Pliskova took in straight sets. Wozniacki is in her third final of the year, looking for her first crown of 2017 and 26th overall.

This will be the second consecutive time two double-digit seeds make the women’s final at Key Biscayne, after No.13 Victoria Azarenka beat No.15 Svetlana Kuznetsova last year.