Halep, Bencic Reach Sydney Semifinals
World number two and top-seed Simona Halep made her way into the Sydney International semifinals on Wednesday, downing fifth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 7-5.
Halep let a break advantage in each set slip away from her, but showed a lot of grit to hold off Pliskova each time. She finished with 22 winners, and took advantage of 43 errors from the big-hitting Pliskova.
“It was tough today. It was very close,” said Halep. “I was leading in the first set 5-1, but she came back really strong. I know she’s been playing tough, she’s playing well, and she’s strong with her serve, and I expected she was going to hit the balls well today. But I think I did well to stay focused in the last few games of the second set, and that I could finish in two sets.”
Halep is now 3-0 in her career against Pliskova, and will take on Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals.
Kuznetsova trailed Italian Sara Errani 1-5 in the first set, before storming back to rout Errani 7-6(1), 6-0.
“I know her pretty well,” said Halep, who is 3-2 all-time versus Kuznetsova. “I’ve played against her and I know she plays a lot of topspin, so it’s a different type of player tomorrow—a different style. But I like to play against her. I have had good matches with her before and I expect another tough one.”
Belinda Bencic advanced to the other Sydney semifinal on Wednesday, knocking off Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-0, 2-6, 6-4. The eighth-seeded Swiss will face off against Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig, who defeated Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-4.
