Romania's Halep progresses to Gippsland Trophy singles quarter-finals

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number two, on Wednesday advanced to the singles quarter-finals of the 565,530-USD Gippsland Trophy WTA 500 tennis tournament after defeating German Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-4. Top-seed Halep, 29, prevailed in an hour and 33 minutes. The former world number one started the game strong and led 4-0, finishing the first set 6-2, after 39 minutes. The two players are now tied in head-to-head tally 2-2. Siegemund defeated Halep in two consecutive years in the Women's Stuttgart Open, in the round of 16 in 2016, 6-1 6-2, and in the 2017 semi-finals, 6-4 7-5. Halep's first success came less than a month after her last defeat, in the round of 32 Italian Open 2017 edition. For her performance in Melbourne, Halep won 8,770 US dollars and 100 WTA singles points. Halep's next opponent will be Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, 26, world number 33, who defeated Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, sixth seeded, 6-4 6-2. Halep and Alexandrova met twice, each with one win: Halep won in August 2019, in the round of 32 at the Cincinnati Masters - 3-6 7-5 6-4, and Alexandrova won in October of the same year, in the round of 32 at China Open, 6-2 6-3. Also on Wednesday, Halep's compatriot Irina Begu defeated fifth-seeded British Johanna Konta, 4-6 7-6 (10) 7-6 (4), and will play in the quarter-finals Japanese Naomi Osaka. Halep will also play in the women's doubles event on Wednesday paired up with Australian Daria Gavrilova, against N.3 pairing Gabriela Dabrowski / Bethanie Mattek-Sands. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mihai Tenea, editor: Mihai Dragomir; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)