Romanian tennis player Simona Halep came from a set down to defeat China’s Duan Ying-Ying and advance to the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open on Wednesday, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
With the victory, Halep not only advances to the last eight at the WTA International event, but secures the No.1 seed for the upcoming Australian Open ahead of Caroline Wozniacki and Garbiñe Muguruza, wtatennis.com informs.
Looking for her first victory over a Top 10 player, the big-hitting World No.91 started brilliantly and blasted her way to a one-set lead for the second time in two career meetings against Halep.
Nonetheless, the Romanian authored an emphatic comeback against the Chinese No.4, having also done so in similar fashion on grass at the Aegon International in Eastbourne last June.
“I knew that she’s playing hard and hitting every ball, so I knew that I had to be very strong in my legs,” Halep said after the match.
“After the first set, I knew I had to find the rhythm a little bit, to stay closer to the baseline and just open the court better, which I did very well. It was not easy, even though the scores were 6-1, 6-2 – it was a very tough match.”
In the quarter-finals, Halep will next face another big hitter in the form of teenage sensation Aryna Sabalenka, after the unseeded Belarusian looked impervious in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat of Montenegrin qualifier Danka Konvinic on Tuesday.
Irina Camelia Begu has also qualified to the Shenzhen Open quarter-finals, after defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday. In the next round, Begu will face Timea Babos (Hungary, 8th seeded)
Both Romanian tennis players are to collect cheques for USD 13,121 and 60 WTA points. They also qualified to the doubles semi-finals, as well.