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Hsieh has recipe for Wimbledon success

London - Fuelled by burgers, lobster and a new-found freedom on the court Taiwain's Hsieh Su-Wei joined the Wimbledon giant-killing spree with a stunning upset of world number one Simona Halep.

Hsieh's 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win sent French Open champion Halep crashing out in the third round on Saturday.

Hsieh, the world number 48, battled back from 2-5 down in the final set and saved a match point in the decider when Halep failed to serve out the win.

Her unique style of play drove Halep to distraction as Hsieh unfurled a series of drop-shots, delicate slices and seemingly innocuous ground-strokes.

And Hsieh's unusual game-plan matched her whimsical personality off the court.

Asked how she would celebrate her success, the quirky Hsieh revealed her love of checking out London's gastronomic delights.

"There's a shop in London very famous now, called Burger & Lobster," she said.

"This is my list every year for my team. I will take all my team to the shop and then we enjoy it."

Hsieh is apparently a discerning foodie, showing little appetite when McDonalds was mentioned as a potential destination.

But she did joke she takes advice from her six-year-old nephew on where to eat.

"We need to find something new. McDonald's? Hmmm, my nephew is really picky. I need to ask my nephew first," she grinned.

"Before the afternoon tea, my nephew was like, 'Afternoon tea, afternoon tea'. I said, 'We will go before we play, relax, it's okay'."

Once her post-match celebration meal is devoured, Hsieh can focus on extending her unexpected run at Wimbledon.

The 32-year-old will make her first appearance in the Wimbledon last 16 when she faces Slovakian world number 33 Dominika Cibulkova on Monday.

Hsieh, a former Wimbledon doubles champion, has never reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.

With nine of the top 10 women's seeds eliminated already, Hsieh has a chance to go deep into the tournament.

But she insisted it was too soon to start dreaming of Grand Slam glory.

"I think all the girls not silly. For me, I just try to enjoy the tennis and enjoy the city, enjoy the food," she said.

"I feel I'm really lucky to be a tennis player, stay here until the second week. I'm very, very grateful and thankful for about all this."

Halep isn't Hsieh's only high-profile victim this year as she defeated Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza and former All England Club finalist Agnieszka Radwanska at the Australian Open.

Hsieh believes her sudden success is a result of playing with more confidence and freedom rather than worrying about failure.

"I don't learn how to be giant killer. I just want to feel free and enjoy the match. You know anything can happen on the court.

"You don't have big chance to win, because they're very good. So all I want to do is just go on the court and hit the shot and run every point and enjoy it.

"I was doing better this year, then I have my family and my boyfriend travelling with me."

After finally winning her maiden Grand Slam crown in Paris, Halep slammed her "unprofessional" approach.

"I just was too negative to myself, talking too much. I think because I was tired. I couldn't stay focused for every ball," Halep said.

"I was leading the match, I was up, and I couldn't finish it. I'm not hard. I'm just realistic and honest with myself.

"I accept that it was an unprofessional attitude from me today."

Wimbledon results on Saturday, the sixth day of the 2018 championships (x denotes seeded player):

Men

Third round

Milos Raonic (CAN x13) bt Dennis Novak (AUT) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2

Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-1

Novak Djokovic (SRB x12) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR x21) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Kei Nishikori (JPN x24) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS x15) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x4) 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0

Juan Martin del Potro (ARG x5) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3

Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)

Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x19) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Alex De Minaur (AUS) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Women

Third round

Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Simona Halep (ROM x1) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) bt Elise Mertens (BEL x15) 6-2, 6-2

Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x12) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 6-0, 6-4

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Daria Gavrilova (AUS x26) 6-3, 6-1

Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) bt Anett Kontaveit (EST x28) 6-2, 6-3

Daria Kasatkina (RUS x14) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x17) 7-5, 6-3

Angelique Kerber (GER x11) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN x18) 6-2, 6-4

Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Carla Suarez Navarro  (ESP x27) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)

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