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'Frustrated' Serena Williams battles past Caroline Wozniacki to reach WTA final

Serena Williams had smashed her racquet in frustration after being on the brink of defeat against Wozniacki.

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Serena Williams fought back from the brink of defeat to edge past Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, 2-6 6-3 7-6(6), in the semifinal of the WTA championships at Singapore.

The pair slugged it out like two prizefighters for almost two and a quarter hours, until Williams delivered the killer blow, to end a contest filled with drama and escalating tension.

Williams looked to be on the ropes, after losing the first set, and smashing her racquet in frustration, then falling 5-4 behind in the third set.

Wozniacki, who lost to Williams in September's U.S. Open final, missed her chance to serve out the match, and the American made her pay by going on to win the deciding tie-breaker.

"Caroline played a great match, it was really difficult today," Williams said in a courtside interview.

"I feel so bad. She's the only one undefeated (after the group stages) in this tournament and she deserved to win."

Williams had snuck into the semi-finals on a countback, after losing to Simona Halep in the round-robin phase, but is suddenly back on track to win the elite season-ending event for the third year in a row.

She will play either Halep or Agnieszka Radwanska in Sunday's final at the National Indoor Stadium.

Wozniacki made a flying start to the match, reeling off the first three games for the loss of just three points.

Williams lost her opening service game, when she hit a half-volley just over the baseline, but held her next two, sealing the first game with a booming 190 km/h ace. The American was unable to make any early inroads on Wozniacki's serve and her frustrations boiled over after she fell 5-2 behind.

She slammed her racquet into the court three times, and incurred an official warning from chair umpire Kader Nouni.

Unfazed by her opponent's outburst, Wozniacki immediately broke Williams again to wrap up the opening set in just 25 minutes.

Williams raised her game for the second set, and put Wozniacki under pressure.

She broke the Dane's serve twice to level the match at one set apiece.

The third set lasted longer as both players traded blows and ran themselves close to exhaustion.

Wozniacki saved a break point midway through the third set, after winning a 26-shot rally, which saw both players darting from side to side.

The Dane, in training for November's New York marathon, appeared to have the edge, when she broke Williams in the ninth game, but was unable to serve out the match.

Wozniacki saved a match point in her last service game to force the tie-breaker, after Williams had reeled off five points in a row.

Williams set up a fourth match point with a 198 km/h ace, then sealed the win, when Wozniacki hit a forehand wide.

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