Tennis:Li Na became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final after saving a match point on her way to beating Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The ninth seed looked down and out when Wozniacki served a set, 5-4 and 40-30 up, but she escaped the danger with a booming forehand down the line before going on to break and eventually claim the second set.
A topsy-turvy deciding set could have gone either way but Li prevailed 3-6 7-5 6-3 and will now play Kim Clijsters in Saturday's final. Clijsters beat Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-3 in the other last-four clash, one which failed to hit the heights of Li's clash with Wozniacki.
The pressure was on Wozniacki as she tried to silence the doubters who have questioned her position at the top of the world rankings, but it did not show in the first set as she played the more consistent tennis while Li was erratic.
Li continued to struggle at the start of the second, committing far too many unforced errors, and Wozniacki took full advantage to establish a 3-1 lead. But just as she appeared to be closing the match out, Wozniacki started to wobble.
Li broke for 4-4 after being 40-0 down only to hand the initiative back to the European after a woeful game which saw her make three elementary errors from 15-all.
Wozniacki brought up match point at 5-4 but could not serve it out as Li sparked into life. The ninth seed then held before breaking again as a despondent Wozniacki double faulted.
The third set was compelling viewing. Li moved 4-2 up only for Wozniacki to break back before then handing the initiative back to her opponent by failing to hold her own serve.
The nerves were jangling when Li, trying to serve it out at 5-3, smacked a forehand long to make it 30-30 but she won the next point and then clinched the match when Wozniacki put a forehand wide after a long rally.
Afterwards she revealed her preparations for the match had been disrupted by her husband and coach Jiang Shan.
"I am so happy to be the first Chinese player to be in a final," she said. "I didn't sleep very well last night, my husband was snoring and I was waking up every hour."
Clijsters proved too good for Zvonareva, winning in one hour and 13 minutes to repeat her victory from last year's US Open final.
Clijsters was broken in her opening service game but from there on in it was plain sailing as she moved Zvonareva all over Rod Laver Arena while also venturing regularly to the net where she displayed a lovely touch. She broke back straight away and then again for a 5-3 lead before serving it out.
Clijsters threatened in the Russian's first service game of the second set, two break points coming and going as Zvonareva rallied, but the world number two could not keep her at bay for long and the third seed made the breakthrough by establishing a 2-1 lead.
Zvonareva rarely looked like she would get back into it and it was no surprise when Clijsters clinched the match with another break to move into her second final in Melbourne.
"I tried really hard on every point and I knew I had to because Vera is a tough player," she said. "I knew I had to be on top of my game and lift my level from the other matches I have played here so far.
"I tried to rise to the occasion, I have been on tour a long time, played a lot of matches, not always won them but even if you lose you learn from them. I tried to dictate the points and move around well, make my opponent play one extra shot. Even if you are not playing your best you have to fight to be the last one standing."
Clijsters returns to the final in Melbourne after a seven-year absence. She lost the 2004 title decider to compatriot Justine Henin.
Although Clijsters will be the favourite for Saturday's showdown, Li is the one player who has beaten her this year, fighting back from 5-0 down to post a straight-sets win in the final of the WTA's Sydney tournament.