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  Wuhan Open: Simona Halep marches into semis

Wuhan Open: Simona Halep marches into semis

AGENCIES
Published : Sep 30, 2016, 12:56 am IST
Updated : Sep 30, 2016, 12:56 am IST

World number five Simona Halep downed Madison Keys in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open on Thursday to book her place in the elite season-end WTA Final for the third consecutive year.

World number five Simona Halep downed Madison Keys in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open on Thursday to book her place in the elite season-end WTA Final for the third consecutive year.

Big serving Keys took an early lead in the first set, breaking the Romanian’s serve twice, but was unable to maintain the momentum as Halep equalled and then took the set 6-4.

Halep — who turned 25 this week — dropped just two games to take the second set and confirm her place in the eight-player season finale in Singapore.

Only world number one Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams have so far qualified for the highly lucrative tournament, and the field remains wide open for the remaining five spots.

Halep will meet either two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or Briton Johanna Konta in the semi-finals on Friday.

Meanwhile, Svetlana Kuznetsova came from match point down to defeat Agnieszka Radwanska 1-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4.

“I was getting better as the match was going on,” Kuznetsova said. “Aga played well in the first set, but I wasn’t moving so well.

“In the second set I wasn’t playing my best game. But I was trying to stay in there, trying to fight, trying to be smart and turn things around.”

Anderson downs Kyrgios Beijing: Second seed and world number 15 Nick Kyrgios went down at the Chengdu Open, as South African Kevin Anderson saved two match points in an upset 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2.

The 30-year-old South African smashed 24 aces in the three-set duel, battling back from an early loss to win a place in the quarterfinals against sixth seed Viktor Troicki.

Anderson has a 2-1 record in head-to-head play against the Serbian, who wore down an exhausted Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, dispatching the Cypriot to earn his sixth trip to the ATP World Tour quarter-finals of the season.

Fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas took two-and-a-half hours to overcome 33-year-old Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan, who took him to three sets, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4.

Berdych battles past Kukushkin Beijing: Top seed and world number 9 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic battled Mikhail Kukushkin to prevail 7-6(7), 7-6(4) and advance at the Shenzhen Open.

The 31-year-old Czech blasted 16 aces to overpower his Kazakh opponent in two sets and secure his quarter-final berth.

Fourth-seed Bernard Tomic of Australia won a two-hour duel with American qualifier Ryan Harrison, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

The 23-year-old right hander hit only 10 aces to Harrison’s 20, but held off the American’s challenge, saving three break points to book a clash with Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the quarter-finals.

For his part the 28-year-old Bellucci notched a two-set victory over Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano, knocking down 13 aces to the Italian’s five, to advance to the quarter-finals.

Location: China, Hubei, Wuhan