Wozniacki elated as long, hard road ends in redemption

MELBOURNE - Caroline Wozniacki said "nobody knows" how much hard work and sheer guts she had to put in to realize her Grand Slam dream.

Twelve years, 67 weeks at world No 1, 149 Grand Slam matches, three major finals and countless disappointments were all made worthwhile on Saturday night when she was crowned Australian Open champion.

An epic 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 win against Simona Halep in a near-three-hour match in brutal heat and humidity also elevated her back to the top of the world rankings after a six-year hiatus, the longest gap in history between spells at the top.