Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified on Tuesday to the last sixteen round of Mutua Madrid Open, with prizes amounting to USD 5,439,350, after defeating Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2) in one hour and 55 minutes. Halep had a remarkable comeback in the third set from 2-5 to reach the tiebreak, which she won 7-2.
In the next round Halep will face Samantha Stosur (33, 26th WTA), who defeated Mariana Duque-Marino (Columbia), cu 6-3, 7-5.
Sorana Cirstea (27, 83rd WTA) also qualified to the last sixteen round after defeating on Tuesday Catherine Bellis (US – 18, 55th WTA) 6-3, 6-2. In the next round she will face Misaki Doi (Japan).
The third Romanian tennis player qualified to the next round is Irina Begu (26, 36th WTA), who defeated Johanna Larsson (Sweden – 28, 57th WTA) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.In the next round she will face Kiki Bertens (Netherlands).
For reaching the last sixteen round, the players will collect 120 WTA points and a cheque worth EUR 68,010.
In the men’s competition, Marius Copil (26, 104 ATP) was defeated on Tuesday by world number one Andy Murray 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 24 minutes. Although defeated, Copil will climb to ATP top 100.
Begu and Halep reach doubles quarter-finals
Irina Begu and Simona Halep have qualified to the doubles quarter-finals after defeating 6-2, 7-5 the pair made up by Nao Hibino (Japan)/Alicja Rosolska (Poland) on Tuesday. The match lasted 63 minutes, and the Romanian pair succeeded a remarkable comeback in the second set. Begu and Halep secured 215 WTA points in the doubles and a cheque for EUR 40,740. In the next round they will face Sania Mirza (India)/Iaroslava Șvedova (Kazakhstan), which defeated Monica Niculescu/Christina McHale 6-1, 7-5.