Update – China Open: Halep through to semi-finals, to play against Ostapenko

No.2 seed Simona Halep avenged a tough Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open loss to talented young Russia Daria Kasatkina to reach her first career semi-final at the China Open in straight sets.

In the semi-finals, Simona Halep will face Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia), who has defeated on Friday another Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-4.

Ostapenko defeated Halep this year in the Roland Garros final 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

No.2 seed Simona Halep wasted little time dispatching Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, 6-2, 6-1, to reach her first China Open semi-final in 69 minutes on Friday, wtatenis.com informs.

Halep took a tough loss to the Volvo Car Open champion just last week at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open – her first in three meetings – but played with clear intent of restoring order to their head-to-head on the National Tennis Stadium, striking 19 winners to 21 unforced errors to dismiss the unseeded 20-year-old in little over an hour.

Kasatkina was in just her second career Premier Mandatory quarterfinal after outlasting defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska in three gruelling sets.

She ultimately had few answers for Halep this time – particularly on serve, where she saved just two of nine break points faced throughout the match.

There’s been plenty of revenge to go around for the Romanian in Beijing, getting her first win over former WTA World No.1 Maria Sharapova just one round earlier.