Caroline Wozniacki has fallen one step short of a fairytale swansong at the ASB Classic after being upset by Jess Pegula in the semi-finals in Auckland this afternoon 6-3 4-6 0-6.
The Danish star was playing in her final appearance in Auckland after announcing late last year she was retiring from all tennis after the Australian Open next month.
With Wozniacki on one side of the draw and good friend and fellow tennis superstar Serena Williams on the other, it was looking like Wozniacki was headed to a tennis-lover's dream of a final but Pegula had other plans.
The match started in an unsettled fashion with the pair trading breaks in the opening two games before Wozniacki settled into her groove and took over.
After trading games, Wozniacki broke Pegula's serve to take a 4-2 lead - an advantage she held on to as she took the first set.
However, things started to unravel for the former World No.1 in the second set as Pegula broke Wozniacki's serve in the opening game, allowing her to race out to a 3-0 lead.
Wozniacki showed her class though as she clawed the second set back to 3-3 - a stalemate that held true for the next two games before Pegula took a 5-4 advantage on her serve.
Pegula then claimed the set when she broke Wozniacki's serve - a moment that seemed to tilt Wozniacki for good.
Pegula suddenly took charge in the third and deciding set, running Wozniacki ragged all over centre court as the Auckland crowd fell silent to the utter domination being showed on the court.
Wozniacki looked like she had zero answers and it showed on the scoreboard as she was swept in the set and out of the competition.
Pegula now awaits the winner of this afternoon's other semi-final between Serena Williams and Amanda Anisimova to see who she will face in this year's final.
Fans hoping to see Wozniacki in action one last time in Auckland will get their wish with Wozniacki still set to compete in the doubles final tomorrow alongside Williams.
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