Iga Swiatek was left to rue squandering a match point on Thursday but said "brave" Madison Keys deserved to be in the Australian Open final.
The 19th seed Keys fought back to win their semifinal 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8) and will face two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Melbourne decider.
It will be the American's first Australian Open final, and only her second in Slams, and she broke down in tears after finally getting over the line in 2hr 35min.
World No 2 Swiatek's wait goes on for a first Melbourne crown.
The five-time Grand Slam champion said the result came down to "one or two balls".
"I guess at the end Madison was kind of brave with her decisions and she pushed me when she needed to," said the 23-year-old Pole.
"I would say I wasn't feeling as free as on previous matches to also push in the important moments."
Swiatek had been imperious in reaching the last four, not dropping a set, but found a different beast in a hard-hitting opponent with an aggressive approach.
Order of Play | Watch Live on DStv
"I think I played good, but she played better," said Swiatek, who let slip a match point in the deciding set.
"I think if I keep working hard, I'll have more chances in the future, and maybe I'll use them as I didn't use my match point today."
She added: "Madison also really did the work as she should. She totally deserves to be in the final."
Swiatek had been aiming to retake the No 1 ranking from rival Sabalenka, but like her title hopes, that went up in smoke for now.
Asked by reporters how that felt, especially considering she was just a whisker from victory, she replied: "You have to experience that to know."