Come-from-behind win guarantees Halep top seeding for Melbourne

WORLD number one Simona Halep assured herself of top billing for the Australian Open after powering past local hope Duan Yingying and into the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen Open in China yesterday.

Halep hit 21 winners and won five out of eight break points to prevail 3-6 6-1 6-2 and secure her number one ranking going into next week and top seeding for Melbourne ahead of Caroline Wozniacki and Garbine Muguruza.

However, the Romanian did not have it easy until her rival suffered a thigh problem late on in the match after blazing through the first set to take the lead.

Caught off guard by Duan’s big hitting early on, Halep turned things around in the second set and broke the world No 91 twice for a 5-1 lead before levelling the contest.

Duan took a medical timeout and returned for the decider with heavy strapping on her left thigh.

Halep, who battled past Duan in their previous meeting in Eastbourne last year, took advantage as Duan struggled to find her rhythm and raced to a 5-0 lead. She then subdued a late fightback to seal the win in 97 minutes.

“I knew that she is playing really hard and hitting every ball. I knew I had to be strong on my legs,” Halep said. “After the first set I was thinking I have to find rhythm, to stay closer to the baseline and open the court better, which I did... It was a very tough match.”

Halep’s compatriot and fourth seed Irina-Camelia Begu overcame Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6 6-1 6-2. She was joined in the quarter-finals by Czech Katerina Siniakova who beat China’s Wang Yafan 7-5 6-3.

World number six Elina Svitolina continued her charge at the Brisbane International as she eased past Croatia’s Ana Konjuh and into the quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-1 win.

Third seed Svitolina struck 17 winners and saved four break points, dismissing the 20-year-old ranked 44 in just over an hour to set up a clash with Briton Johanna Konta.

“It was a good match, and I was expecting a tough one against Ana today,” Svitolina said after beating the youngest player ranked inside the WTA’s top 50. “I’m happy with how I handled some of the tough shots she hit today.”

Svitolina enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2017, winning titles in Taipei City, Dubai, Istanbul, Rome and Toronto, and is confident of a better showing in 2018. “Hopefully I’m improved. I’m trying to work hard and stay focused on each match,” she said.

Former champion Kaia Kanepi, a winner in 2012, dominated her match against Lesia Tsurenko to seal a 6-4 6-3 victory and a meeting against second seed Karolina Pliskova who dumped out American CiCi Bellis 6-1 6-1.

Meanwhile, Aliaksandra Sasnovich sealed a comeback win over Kanepi’s Estonian compatriot Anett Kontaveit. The qualifier from Belarus, who swept aside Kristina Mladenovic in the first round, prevailed 1-6 7-6(2) 6-3 and faces Alize Cornet next.

Australian teenager Alex De Minaur delighted his home fans with an inspired performance to stun fourth seed Milos Raonic and move into the Brisbane Open quarter-finals yesterday.

The 18-year-old wildcard broke the big-serving former champion three times en route to a 6-4 6-4 upset in 94 minutes and set up a clash with American teenager Michael Mmoh.

World number 208 De Minaur put his Canadian opponent under pressure early on in the contest, grabbing a break in the third game before hanging on to take the first set.

A rusty Raonic tried to mount a comeback late in the second set but De Minaur resisted the charge of the world number 24 and pushed on for the biggest win of his career.

Mmoh, 19, earlier saved six break points and converted four of his own to upset eighth seed Mischa Zverev 6-2 5-7 6-4 for only his second victory on the ATP Tour.

Nick Kyrgios overcame pain in his knee to beat Australian compatriot Matthew Ebden 6-7(3) 7-6(5) 6-2 in his first singles match since a hip injury ended his season in October.

Kyrgios, who took a medical timeout while trailing 4-5 in the opening set, received treatment again two games later and struggled to find his feet as Ebden edged the tiebreaker.

The world number 21 hit back in the second set and pulled away in the decider to set up a clash with Alexandr Dolgopolov who beat Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos 6-1 6-2.