Three times they had played each other before, but not since 2016, when Shuai had beaten Halep twice, at the Australian Open and in Beijing.
Today, Shuai won the opening two games, both which went to deuce, breaking Halep in the second. A love game helped Shuai to a 3-0 lead, a forehand down the line highlighted. Halep managed to register a score on the board, but again she had to negotiate deuce to achieve it. Shuai delivered an easier hold and at 4-1 appeared ready to take the set.
The sixth game was pivotal. Shuai forced a backhand error and Halep hit another backhand into the net. A Halep down the line backhand winner couldn’t prevent 15-40 and two break points. Both were saved, along with two others later in the game. Halep held serve once she converted her fourth game point.
After struggling to hold her own serve, Halep attacked the Shuai delivery. At 30-30, she hit a forehand winner to produce a break point. A forehand miss saw that chance disappear. A second break point came with an off forehand winner from the Romanian. A double fault confirmed the break and games were on serve for the first time since game one.
The next four games went to the server with only two points surrendered in total. Halep served at 5-6 to stay in the set, and did so, despite throwing in a double fault, Shuai assisting with two bad misses early in the game. A tie break was required.
Both players lost two points against their serves, and Shuai was at the line trailing 3-4. A backhand landed out of court and Halep led 5-3.
Serving at 6 points to 4, Halep hit a forehand winner to win the set 7-6(4).
After splitting the first two games of set two, Halep then won the next three games, taking 12 of the 13 points played, and breaking the Shuai serve in the process.
At 1-4, Shuai saved two break points, but couldn’t deal with a third, and fell further behind at 1-5. Halep served for the match and lost the opening point. Then a forehand winner began the surge to victory. At 40-15, a Shuai return delayed things, but a Romanian forehand winner closed out the contest.
Simona Halep booked a semi final spot, victorious 7-6(4) 6-1.
No comments:
Post a Comment