By Erik Gudris / Thursday, January 24, 2014

 

Dominika Cibulkova continued her breakthrough run by ousting Agnieszka Radwanksa to reach the Australian Open final.

Photo Credit: Corleve

She may have been an underdog throughout the event, but the spotlight is now firmly on No. 20 seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

Once again, Cibulkova found the perfect mix of confidence and power to take out a higher ranked opponent as she did earlier against Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep. This time in the women's semifinals.

The task would not be easy as Cibulkova took on heavy favorite No. 5 seed Agnieszka Radwanska who upset defending champion Victoria Azarenka earlier.

But that victory may have come with a price for Radwanska who looked flat in the opening stages of the match. Cibulkova pounced early to earn a quick break of serve and continued her momentum from then on. Saving five break points against her own serve a few games later, Cibulkova held for 3-1. Radwanska did not help her cause by being unable to win a single point on her own second serve.

Soon, Cibulkova wrapped up the 6-1 first set that was greeted by a stunned reaction from those watching at Rod Laver Arena.

Playing in only her second Grand Slam semifinal, Cibulkova kept up her attack. Reeling off eight straight points, she took hold of a 2-0 lead. Radwanska did manage to get to 0-40 on Cibulkova's next service game. But the Polish star couldn't convert on any break points allowing Cibulkova to extend her advantage.

Though known for blowing big leads against top ranked players in previous matches throughout her career, Cibulkova appeared unwilling to dwell on past history. With Radwanska pressuring late in the set, Cibulkova kept her cool and held for 5-2. From there, Cibulkova rolled through Radwanska's last service game and broke her opponent one final time.

An ecstatic Cibulkova soon celebrated the 6-1, 6-2 win sending her into her first ever Grand Slam final.

Cibulkova dominated the match with 21 winners and 20 unforced errors. Radwanska, often known for playing tidy matches, ended up throwing in 24 unforced herself.

A dejected Radwanska left the court and threw a towel in the direction of a television camera.

Cibulkova now becomes the first Slovakian women to reach a Grand Slam final. She will take on Li Na who defeated Eugenie Bouchard earlier in the day.

"I love to play tennis. When I play like this, it's the best feeling ever." Cibulkova said to ESPN's Tom Rinaldi after her win.