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Melbourne - A relieved Caroline Wozniacki hailed her greatest comeback on Wednesday after saving two match points at 1-5 in the final set to keep her Grand Slam dream alive against little-known Jana Fett.
The number two seed finally prevailed 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the second round of the Australian Open on a searing Rod Laver Arena after an epic two hour and 31 minutes battle against the Croat ranked 119th.
"At 5-1, 40-15, I felt, like, I was one foot out of the tournament," admitted Wozniacki.
"She served a great serve down the 'T', as well. It was just slightly out. I was kind of lucky."
The Dane reeled off four points in a row to get to 5-2 and then never looked back, racing through the next five games in just 20 minutes.
It was tough on the plucky 21-year-old Fett who, in sight of the greatest victory of her fledgling career, melted away in the centre court's heat.
"I felt her tighten up just slightly. I thought to myself, you know what, at this point, make her win it," added the world number two.
"When I got to 5-2, I said, OK, I'm still alive. Just try and stay aggressive. That was that."
Asked by reporters if this was the greatest comeback of her long career, in her 43rd Grand Slam tournament, Wozniacki was unequivocal.
"Yeah, definitely. I'm very proud of the way I came back," the 27-year-old former number one said.
"It was very hard, and she was playing well," she added of Fett who was in the second round of a Slam for the first time.
"All of a sudden seeing myself down, almost out of the tournament, I started playing the tennis that I wanted to play."
After being a point away from becoming the latest big-name casualty in the bottom half of a draw that has become a seeds graveyard, Wozniacki was emotional straight after.
"That was crazy, I don't how I got back the in the match," she said.
Wozniacki reeled off 10 points in a row from two match points down to ignite her recovery.
"Experience was crucial," she said. "I think she suddenly realised at 5-1 what was happening and I just had to attack and take advantage of it."
On Monday fifth seed Venus Williams, 10th seed CoCo Vandeweghe and 13th seed and reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens all made early exits, meaning the bottom half of the draw is now wide open.
Wozniacki will continue her quest for a maiden Grand Slam title in the third round on Friday against Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands who beat American Nicole Gibbs 6-7 (7/3), 6-0.
Results from the Australian Open on Wednesday:
Men's singles
2nd round
Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x10) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-2, 3-0 ret
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 7-5, 6-1, 6-3
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-1, 6-3, 6-4
Gilles Muller (LUX x23) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 3-6, 6-2
Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO x6) bt João Sousa (POR) 6-1, 7-5, 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x15) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5
Damir Dzumhur (BIH x28) bt John Millman (AUS) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x31) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Yuichi Sugita (JPN) 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 4-6, 12-10
Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Diego Schwartzman (ARG x24) bt Casper Ruud (NOR) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
Women's singles
2nd round
Denisa Allertova (CZE) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Olivia Rogowska (AUS) 6-3, 7-5
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x15) 6-2, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR x4) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Luksika Kumkhum (THA) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-1, 6-3
Petra Martic (CRO) bt Irina Begu (ROM) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK x19) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) bt Jana Fett (CRO) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
Magda Linette (POL) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x22) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x7) bt Duan Yingying (CHN) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Monica Puig (PUR) 6-4, 6-3
Kiki Bertens (NED x30) bt Nicole Gibbs (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-0
Anett Kontaveit (EST x32) bt Mona Barthel (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
