Halep storms into quarter-final
SIMONA Halep is one step closer to a dream Melbourne Summer Set One final showdown with top-seed Naomi Osaka after demolishing fellow Romanian Gabriela Ruse on Thursday.
One night after dispatching young Australian Destanee Aiava for the loss of only six games, second-seeded Halep returned to Rod Laver Arena and breezed past Ruse 6-2 6-1.
The former world No.1 and dual grand slam champion endured an injury-ravaged 2021 season, in which her ranking tumbled to No.20.
She also mutually parted ways with her long-time Australian coach Darren Cahill, but seems primed to quickly re-climb the women’s game on her performances this week.
Halep will face her stiffest challenge this week in the quarter-finals against Swiss eighth seed Viktorija Golubic, who ousted qualifier Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove 6-3 6-0.
Elsewhere in the tournament, German veteran Andrea Petkovic continues to turn back the clock. Having already upset No.5 seed Liudmila Samsonova, 75th-ranked Petkovic – a former top-10 star – outlasted Frenchwoman Clara Burel 7-5 2-6 6-4 in a two-hour-plus battle to make the last eight.
Petkovic awaits the winner of Japan’s Osaka and Belgian Maryna Zanevska, which was scheduled for Thursday night.
Croatia’s Ana Konjuh also made the quarter-finals, beating Kaia Kanepi 6-2 3-6 6-3.
In Melbourne Summer Set Two, Russian third seed Daria Kasatkina edged out American Madison Keys 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-3, while Amanda Anisimova eliminated fifth seed Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-1.
Anisimova’s next opponent is Irina-Camelia Begu, who beat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 3-6 6-2 6-3.
ANDY Murray has earnt a lastminute wildcard entry into the Sydney Tennis Classic, giving the former world No.1 one last chance to limber up before the Australian Open.
The five-time Australian Open runner-up bowed out of the Melbourne Summer Set on Tuesday in the first round, vanquished by world No.76 Facundo Bagnis.
Just when it appeared impossible Murray would enter the year’s first grand slam on a high, the Sydney Tennis Classic threw the Scot a lifeline, inviting him to the
ATP 250 and WTA 500 event from January 10-15 at Sydney’s Olympic Park.
It will be Murray’s last hitout before the Australian Open, for which he has also been given a wildcard entry.
Murray, who was in Sydney on Thursday watching the
ATP Cup, is ranked No.134 in the world – a far cry from the top of the rankings, where he sat for 41 consecutive weeks from November 2016 – but showed last year that he was still capable of matching it with the best.
He defeated Jannik Sinner in straight sets in Stockholm in November, having polished off Hubert Hurkacz in Vienna a month earlier. Both were ranked in the top 10.
Nick Kyrgios, who withdrew from the Melbourne Summer Set due to asthma issues, has also been awarded a wildcard entry into the Sydney Tennis Classic.
Daniel Evans (Britain), Taylor Fritz (US), Cristian Garin (Chile), David Goffin (Belgium) and Australia’s Alexei Popyrin are among the other stars set to play in the tournament.
The draw will be determined on Saturday, with the remaining qualifiers to take place on Sunday.