Share

Halep eases into Aussie Open last eight

Melbourne - World number one Simona Halep eased into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open Monday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over unseeded Naomi Osaka of Japan in 81 minutes.

"I'm really happy that I'm back in the quarter-finals," said the Romanian, who last made it this far in 2015 and has been nursing a troublesome ankle that she rolled in her first-round match. 

"The injury is still there. I feel it but I'm trying not to think about it and give it everything."

Halep was delighted to be on court for 143 minutes less than her previous match against Lauren Davis, which at 3 hours and 44 minutes was the longest of the tournament.

"Actually, this tournament looks like a marathon for me," she said, after spending almost nine hours on court so far, more than any other player.  

"I'm really proud I could stay focused and make every point very focused and concentrated." 

The big-hitting Osaka had her chances, notably in the fifth game of the first set when she squandered five points to break the Halep serve. The Romanian compounded Osaka's disappointment immediately with a break of her own.

She served out to take the set in 42 minutes and immediately broke the Japanese player again to start the second.

The players matched each other with 22 winners apiece but Osaka's 31 unforced errors ultimately proved her downfall against the consistent Halep.

The top seed is guaranteed to meet a Czech opponent for a place in the semi-finals, either sixth seed Karolina Pliskova or Barbora Strycova, the 20th seed, who play later.

Results from the Australian Open on Monday:

Men's singles

4th round

Tomas Berdych (CZE x19) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x25) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

Women's singles

4th round

Madison Keys (USA x17) by Caroline Garcia (FRA x8) 6-3, 6-2

Angelique Kerber (GER x21) bt Hsieh Su-wei (TPE) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2247 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE