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 The world number one will face Simona Halep in Sunday's final
after the pint-sized Romanian crushed Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska
6-2 6-2 in the second semi-final.
Halep also demolished Williams during the round-robin stages earlier
in the tournament, setting the stage for a mouth-watering rematch
with the world number one.
The best of friends off the court, Williams and Wozniacki 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.
The American 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.
But Wozniacki, who lost to Williams in last month's U.S. Open final,
blinked first, missing her chance to serve out the match and the
American made her pay by going on to win the deciding tie-breaker.
"Being so close and still losing, it really sucks," Wozniacki said.
"But, you know, I think it was a great match. I played all I could
today. I played my heart out. I fought until the end."
 Williams only snuck into the semi-finals on a countback but is
suddenly back on track to win the elite season-ending event for the
third year in a row.
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 her 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.
WILLIAMS OUTBURST
She slammed her racquet into the purple hardcourts three times,
destroying her equipment and incurring an official warning from the
chair umpire Kader Nouni.
"I kind of lost my cool a little bit," Williams said. "At least you
know I'm passionate. I give 200 per cent.
"When I play, doesn't matter how I feel, I'm going to give
everything I have for every shot and every point.
"I'm not the kind of girl that goes out there and just plays through
the motions and just doesn't care whether I win or lose. I give
everything."
Unfazed by her opponent's outburst, Wozniacki immediately broke
Williams again to wrap up the opening set in just 25 minutes.
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Williams raised her game for the second set, eliminating the
mistakes that cost her the opening set and putting Wozniacki under
pressure.
She broke the Dane's serve for the first time with a ferocious
return that Wozniacki chipped back then broke her again to level the
match at one set apiece when Wozniacki double-faulted.
The third set lasted longer than the first two combined 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.
BEST NOT ENOUGH
Wozniacki, in training for next month's New York marathon, appeared
to have the edge in fitness 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 then two more after Williams had reeled off five points
in a row.
But the American set up a fourth match point with a 198 km/h ace,
her 12th of the match, then sealed the victory when Wozniacki hit a
forehand wide.
"You can always look back and say, I could have done this and that,
but at the end of the day I couldn't. I played the best I could,"
Wozniacki said.
"Serena was just better than me in the most crucial moments. Her
serve, when she needed it, it came up on fire. So I think that
decided the match."
Halep, one of the most improved players in the women's game, showed
no mercy against Radwanska, breaking her serve five times and
racking up 26 clean winners in her lopsided win.
Ranked 64th in the world 18 months ago, she made her first grand
slam final at the French Open earlier this year and now her first
WTA Finals decider in her maiden appearance at the elite event.
"I'm very excited to be in the final," Halep said. "I've played my
best tennis here this week."
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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