Romania's Halep advances to Doha women's singles semis

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number two, on Friday advanced to the women's singles semi-finals of the 3,173,000-USD WTA Qatar Total Open 2018 tournament in Doha after defeating American teen player Catherine Bellis 6-0 6-4.

Halep, 26, prevailed in an hour and 22 minutes over world number 48 Bellis.

The 2014 Qatar Open champion Halep won 147,750 US dollars and 350 WTA singles points, and in the semis she plays Garbine Muguruza of Spain. The 24-year-old Spaniard, world number four, on Friday defeated France's Caroline Garcia 3-6 6-1 6-4.

Muguruza leads 3-1 in the head-to-head count, with Halep's only win coming in the women's singles R16 of the 2015 Stuttgart Open 3-6 6-1 6-3. She prevailed in the women's singles R32 of the 2014 Wuhan Open 2-6 6-2 6-3; in the 2015 WTA Romania v Spain - FC WG II - R1 Draw 6-4 6-3 and in the women's singles final of the 2017 Cincinnati Masters 6-1 6-0. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mihai Tenea, editor: Mircea Lazaroniu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)