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Copy of – Barty beats Vondrousova again, Sabalenka stuns Halep in Adelaide

Quarter-finals

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 16, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) World number one Ash Barty maintained her mastery over Marketa Vondrousova, but Aryna Sabalenka jolted Simona Halep’s Australian Open build-up in the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International on Thursday.

In a rematch of last year’s French Open final, Barty prevailed once again, winning 6-3 6-3 for a 4-0 head-to-head lead over the Czech.

American Danielle Collins, who knocked out fourth seeded Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-1, awaits the Australian in the semi-finals.

Barty fired 20 winners and saved six of the seven break points to clinch the contest against Vondrousova, who was playing her first tournament since Wimbledon following wrist surgery.

Barty will take on Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the first round of the Australian Open.

There, she will bid to end the host nation’s long wait for a home-grown champion at the year’s first Grand Slam.

Earlier, Belarusian Sabalenka stunned reigning Wimbledon champion Halep 6-4 6-2 to set up a semi-final clash with Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who beat Donna Vekic 6-4 6-3.

Level at 4-4 in the first set, Sabalenka reeled off seven straight games to race to a 6-4 5-0 lead before wrapping up victory in a little over an hour.

“I knew she’ll fight until the end —- it doesn’t matter what the score,” she said after registering her first win against the Romanian former world number one.

“When the score was 5-0, I kind of expected that she’ll try to do everything she can to come back in the match.”

Sabalenka narrowly averted a first round exit against Hsieh Su-Wei and had to toil against American qualifier Bernarda Pera in the next match.

“I wasn’t really disappointed after that two games,” she said.

“That helped me to stay in the match and to not lose my mind. I’m happy with this win, especially against big fighters like Simona and the great players. (It) feels good.”(Reuters/NAN)
OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Uncategorized

Barty beats Vondrousova again, Sabalenka stuns Halep in Adelaide

Quarter-finals

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 16, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) World number one Ash Barty maintained her mastery over Marketa Vondrousova, but Aryna Sabalenka jolted Simona Halep’s Australian Open build-up in the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International on Thursday.

In a rematch of last year’s French Open final, Barty prevailed once again, winning 6-3 6-3 for a 4-0 head-to-head lead over the Czech.

American Danielle Collins, who knocked out fourth seeded Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-1, awaits the Australian in the semi-finals.

Barty fired 20 winners and saved six of the seven break points to clinch the contest against Vondrousova, who was playing her first tournament since Wimbledon following wrist surgery.

Barty will take on Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the first round of the Australian Open.

There, she will bid to end the host nation’s long wait for a home-grown champion at the year’s first Grand Slam.

Earlier, Belarusian Sabalenka stunned reigning Wimbledon champion Halep 6-4 6-2 to set up a semi-final clash with Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who beat Donna Vekic 6-4 6-3.

Level at 4-4 in the first set, Sabalenka reeled off seven straight games to race to a 6-4 5-0 lead before wrapping up victory in a little over an hour.

“I knew she’ll fight until the end —- it doesn’t matter what the score,” she said after registering her first win against the Romanian former world number one.

“When the score was 5-0, I kind of expected that she’ll try to do everything she can to come back in the match.”

Sabalenka narrowly averted a first round exit against Hsieh Su-Wei and had to toil against American qualifier Bernarda Pera in the next match.

“I wasn’t really disappointed after that two games,” she said.

“That helped me to stay in the match and to not lose my mind. I’m happy with this win, especially against big fighters like Simona and the great players. (It) feels good.”(Reuters/NAN)
OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Halep stuns Serena to win Wimbledon title

Title
London, July 13, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Serena Williams’ wait for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title goes on after Simona Halep stunned the off-key American 6-2 6-2 in a one-sided Wimbledon final match on Saturday.

An inspired Halep took full advantage of an error-strewn display by seven-times champion Williams to become the first Romanian to win the Wimbledon title.

The 27-year-old Halep broke serve in the opening game and raced into a 4-0 lead.

She remained rock solid throughout and Williams simply could not respond.

There were signs that Williams was finding her range in the second set but Halep was undaunted and reeled off the last five games.

The contest ended after Williams buried a forehand into the net after 56 minutes.

It is the second year running that Williams arrived in the final seeking to match Margaret Court’s record 24 singles majors.

Last year she failed to get a set against Angelique Kerber.

She then went on to lose the U.S. Open final match.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Halep steers steady path into Wimbledon semi-finals

Halep
London, July 9, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Former world number one Simona Halep reached her second Wimbledon semi-final on Tuesday by dispatching China’s unseeded Zhang Shuai 7-6(4) 6-1.

But she had to overcome an early onslaught to deliver another textbook example of matchplay tennis.

Just as she did in quelling the lively challenge of 15-year-old Coco Gauff on Monday, Halep initially struggled.

She looked in real danger when 4-1 down and facing more break points in the opening set.

However, the Romanian dug in to see off the threat and then played her usual percentage tennis as Zhang lost her way.

Seventh-seed Halep will now face either number eight seed Elina Svitolina or unseeded Karolina Muchova as she bids to reach the final for the first time.

She lost to Eugenie Bouchard in the last four in 2014.

“I fought hard in the first set, even if I knew I was 4-1 and she was hitting hard. I knew she would hit with a lot of power.

“I knew I would have to play aggressively and I did it great.

“I have energy, I feel fresh and confident and I am perhaps playing my best tennis on grass,” Halep said.

Zhang is ranked 50th and has reached the quarter-finals in only one Grand Slam event ——— the 2016 Australian Open.

However, she started superbly, serving and returning with depth, power and confidence to break in the second game and race to a 4-1 lead.

That looked set to be 5-1, but Halep battled and chased to save four break points in the game and turn the match.

The 27-year-old Romanian, last year’s French Open champion, began to find her own rhythm.

She delivered the calculated low-risk groundstrokes that wore down American Gauff on Monday to hold, and then broke back via a double fault.

Zhang’s double-handed backhand, so deadly in the opening games, began to pepper the tramlines as the inconsistency indicated by her poor Grand Slam record became evident.

She clung on enough to get to a tiebreak but was well beaten in it and an early break in the second set put Halep 3-1 up.

Zhang’s head then dropped and the errors flowed as Halep rattled through the remaining games at a canter.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Joseph Edeh and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

World number one Halep geared up for best player Serena

Clash
Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 19, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Simona Halep might be the current number one in women’s tennis but the Romanian believes the best player in the world will be awaiting her when she takes on Serena Williams.

Both players meet in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

The 37-year-old American took a year off after the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017.

She returned to action last season when she reached the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Serena was eight weeks pregnant when she won the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park.

And though she has played selective tournaments since motherhood, the American is still the player to beat in the women’s draw at Grand Slams.

French Open champion Halep has topped the rankings since October 2017.

“In my opinion, to be number one in the world and to be the best player in the world, it’s a little bit different,” Halep told reporters on Saturday after a 6-2 6-3 third round win against the older Williams sister, Venus.

“In this moment, I’m number one in the world, so I will take that. I feel like I have been there many months, many weeks.

“But for sure she’s the best player in the world because she won so many Grand Slams. She’s been a lot on number one. I cannot compare my results to her.

“But in this moment, I’m confident that I’m in this position, and I’m positive about it.”

The losses in the finals in London and New York left Serena, who is seeded 16th at Melbourne Park, still seeking a 24th Grand Slam singles title..

It will enable her to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record.

She has lost only nine games this week in her first three rounds.

“I only beat her once in my life. So, I cannot say much about this match,” Halep said, referring to her nine overall meetings with Serena.

“Just that it’s going to be a huge challenge for me. It’s always great to play against Serena because every time I have to learn something from the match.”

Halep admitted that she used to be intimidated by Serena when she was younger, but said the “great champion” will be just another opponent in the last 16 clash.

“I’m used to this pressure. I’m used to facing her,” Halep said. “I’m in a good position. I feel confident. I played very well today. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same against her.

“Definitely, it’s the toughest draw I’ve ever had… it’s a huge challenge. Every time I face the (Williams) sisters is a big challenge for me.

“I just want to try to play my best tennis because I have nothing to lose against them.” (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Halep faces tricky first test against Kanepi in Australian Open

Halep faces tricky first test against Kanepi in Australian Open

Test

Melbourne (Australia), Jan. 14, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Simona Halep begins her Australian Open campaign against Kaia Kanepi on Tuesday in a rematch of their U.S. Open meeting which the world number one lost in straights sets.

The Romanian has struggled for form and fitness since that first-round defeat at Flushing Meadows last year and comes into the year’s first Grand Slam short of preparation.

A back injury prematurely ended her run in 2018.

Defeat to local hope Ashleigh Barty in the opening round of the Sydney International last week means Halep has played only one match ahead of a potentially tricky Australian Open test.

The top seed has recovered fully from a herniated disk that she aggravated at the China Open in September, but said she was feeling a bit behind the curve.

“I’m motivated. But it’s a little bit different because last year I had about 10, 15 matches before Melbourne; now I have one, which I lost.

“I took the risk staying home a little bit longer. I rested because I felt like I’m exhausted after those tournaments and also the year that I had,” said Halep.

However, Halep cannot be written off, as she reached the final at Melbourne Park last year.

Kanepi will be out to prove that her victory over the French Open champion was no fluke but the 33-year-old could be short of match practice herself.

She has not featured in a competitive game since reaching the fourth round in New York after aggravating an existing injury.

Serena Williams, who resumes her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, plays unseeded German Tatjana Maria at Rod Laver Arena in the second match on Tuesday.

Top seed, Novak Djokovic, who made a spectacular return to form last year and won the last two Grand Slams, takes on American Mitchell Krueger in the evening session. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Salif Atojoko

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Sport

World No 1, Halep upset by Kanepi in U.S. Open first round

World No 1, Halep upset by Kanepi in U.S. Open first round

New York (U.S.), Aug. 27, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) World number one Simona Halep was upset 6-2 6-4 by unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi in the U.S. Open first round on Monday.

It is the second consecutive year the Romanian has lost her opening match at Flushing Meadows.

Playing in the first match on the newly renovated Louis Armstrong Stadium court, the French Open champion failed to sustain any kind of service rhythm.

Her usually stout defence proved no match for Kanepi’s bruising ground strokes and deft drop shots. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Silas Nwoha

Sport

Serena handed tough path to U.S. Open final

Serena handed tough path to U.S. Open final

New York (U.S.), Aug. 23, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Serena Williams was handed a difficult path to the final after being drawn on Thursday in the same quarter as older sister Venus and world number one Simona Halep.

The American is aiming for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at this year’s U.S. Open.

Serena will start her campaign against Polish world number 60 Magda Linette and could face Venus in the third round before a possible fourth-round showdown with Romanian top seed Halep.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner is seeking her sixth trophy in New York and is seeded 17th.

Holder Sloane Stephens meets Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina in the first round and could face former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the third.

She could also face Belgian 15th seed Elise Mertens in the fourth and seventh-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.

Defending men’s champion and top seed Rafael Nadal, who last year won his third title at Flushing Meadows, will play fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the first round.

French Open champion Nadal could face South Africa’s Wimbledon runner-up Kevin Anderson, the fifth seed, in the last eight in what would be a rematch of the 2017 U.S. Open final.

Men’s second seed Roger Federer, who won the last of his five U.S. Open titles in 2008, is in the same quarter as twice champion and sixth-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic.

Federer will start against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka with Australian Nick Kyrgios, the 30th seed, a possible third round opponent.

Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who could face Federer in the quarter-finals, will start against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

The U.S. Open begins on Monday. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Silas Nwoha

Sport

Tennis: Bertens stuns world number one Halep for Cincinnati title

Victory

Cincinnati (USA), Aug. 19, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Dutch surprise Kiki Bertens shocked a fatigued world number one Simona Halep 2-6 7-6(6) 6-2 to win her first hard court final at the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday.

Bertens, rebounding after a quick first set loss, outlasted Romania’s top seed in an exhausting second set tiebreaker.

She then won five of the final six games in the decider to lift her sixth career title, after five previous triumphs on clay.

“I cannot find words for this moment. I’m so happy,” a tearful Bertens said on court.

The victory was the 26-year-old Bertens’ first ever over a world number one and her sixth consecutive triumph over a top-10 opponent.

And it will see her move up to number 13 in the world rankings.

It also ended a nine-match winning streak by Halep, who lost in the Cincinnati final for a third time.

“Maybe once I will win one because I love to play here,” said Halep.

“I was a little bit tired this week but it was a pleasure to come here and play.

“Definitely, I want to congratulate Kiki. You played amazing and you definitely deserve this title.” (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/MZA

Sport

Tennis: Halep seals spot in WTA Finals

Tennis: Halep seals spot in WTA Finals

Halep

Singapore, Aug. 13, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) World number one Simona Halep became the first player to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore, the WTA said on Monday.

The Romanian is the only player to have qualified for all five editions of the event since it has been held in Singapore.

She will look to win the title for the first time later in the year.

Halep was beaten in the 2014 final by American Serena Williams.

“Simona has been one of the sport’s most consistent and leading performers over the last few years.

“We look forward to seeing her competing to hold the prestigious Billie Jean King Trophy,” WTA CEO and chairman Steve Simon said.

The top eight singles players at the 7 million dollar prize money event will face off in a round-robin format.

Halep won her maiden grand slam trophy at the French Open this year and claimed her third title of the season at the Rogers Cup by beating Sloane Stephens in the final on Sunday.

The WTA Finals will take place from Oct. 21-28. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Salif Atojoko

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