Halep fights her way to last-eight round in Prague

PRAGUE: Reigning Wim­b­­ledon champion Simona Halep reached the quarter-finals of the WTA Prague Open after grinding out a three-set win against Czech doubles specialist Barbora Krejcikova on Thursday.

The lacklustre Romanian world No.2 overpowered the 118th-ranked Krejcikova 3-6, 7-5 and 6-2 in two hours and five minutes in her second post-lockdown match.

On a scorching hot afternoon and behind closed doors, the 28-year-old Halep struggled with her right shoulder which affected her serve as she piled up ten double faults and gave away seven breaks.

She was 2-0 down in the third set but then won six games in a row after finally regaining composure as Krejcikova lost much of the resolve she had shown earlier in the match.

“She played great and it was really tough to find my rhythm,” Halep said. “I just stayed focused for every ball I played.”

Halep next faces lucky loser Magdalena Frech after the 174th-ranked Pole defeated Arantxa Rus 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to make her first career quarter-final.

Wild-card entry Eugenie Bouchard advanced by overcoming Tamara Zidansek 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (2-7), 6-2 to reach her second quarter-final this year. The former fifth-ranked Canadian wasted a 4-1 lead in the second set before prevailing in the decider after almost three hours to set up a quarterfinal against third-seeded Elise Mertens.

Sara Sorribes Tormo eased past Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-3 to play either Irina-Camelia Begu or Leonie Kung in the quarter-finals.

The Prague Open is the second European tournament since the WTA resta­rted amid the coronavirus pandemic, with strict health protocols in place.