Romanian World No. 3 Simona Halep hits a return against Germany’s Julia Goerges during her quarter-final match of the Qatar Total Open at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, in Doha, yesterday.
Top seed and Romanian tennis icon Simona Halep yesterday survived a mid-match crisis to beat Germany’s Julia Goerges in straight sets to book a semi-final spot at the Qatar Total Open.
Halep, winner in Doha in 2014, was stretched in the 2 hour 1-minute battle on the Center Court before the Romanian won 7-6, 7-6 to seal a semi-final match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
Earlier, Svitolina produced a convincing performance to outlast Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2.
Also yesterday, second seed and German Grand Slam star Angelique Kerber produced a gutsy performance to rally from a set down to beat Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 1-6, 6-2, 7-6.
After losing the first set rather tamely, Kerber got her show together and put pressure on the 32-year-old opponent. It was Kerber’s 8th win over Strycova in nine meetings on the tour.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber reacts after defeating Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova yesterday. Pictures: Vadakkemuriyil Rajan
For Halep, it was her third successive win over Goerges in as many meetings.
“I am very happy. Honestly it was a tough match. It is always tough to play (against) her because she has a big serve,” Halep said after the match.
“She is very strong and I didn’t give up. That’s why I won this match,” the Romanian added.
“I always enjoy playing in Doha so I didn’t want to leave,” she said with a smile.
“I want to thank the fans who came here to support me. It is always a nice atmosphere. I want to thank Doha for making us feel welcome,” Halep said.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in action against Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova.
“It will be a big challenge for me against Elina. She has beaten me a few times. It is always a challenge to play against her,” Halep said of her match against Svitolina today.
Halep raced to a 5-1 lead after breaking Goerges three times in the first set but the German fought back to force a tie-breaker. In the tie-breaker, Halep raced to a 4-1 lead and quickly closed out the set at 7-6, only allowing 1 point to Goerges. The second set also went into a tie-breaker and after a brief fight, Halep wrapped up the match with a powerful shot close to the net.
Earlier Strycova broke Kerber in two games to take the first set at 6-1 in just 30 minutes. Kerber, the experienced German, broke Strycova in games 2, 4 and 8 in the second set to draw level in the match.
The third set went into a tie-breaker and Kerber remained calm in front of a rattled and angry Strycova. At 6-3 up in the tie-breaker, Kerber smashed a forehand to take the match in a little over two hours.
“Yes, I knew it will be a great match. I knew I could come back after losing the first set,” Kerber said after the match. “I was trying to play better than I did in the first set. I knew she fights all the time so I had to be better than her. The crowd was just amazing and that gave me the energy and emotion in the end,” she added.
Qatar Tennis Federation President Nasser Al Khelaifi, along with guests, watching the action during the quarter-finals of the Qatar Total Open, in Doha, yesterday.
Kerber said: “We are getting older (smiles). We practice a lot. We have been on the tour for so long. We have had great matches over the years. It’s always nice to play this way. It’s great we are still competing at this level.”
Kerber will play Belgian Elise Mertens who beat fifth seed Kiki Bertens 6-4, 6-3 in the day’s last quarter-final yesterday.
Earlier, Svitolina produced a slick performance to beat qualifier Muchova 6-4, 6-2 in 82 minutes.
For Svitolina, who is appearing in the Qatar Total Open as a wild card, this will be her best ever performance in Doha where she never reached the quarter-finals previously.
For the losing quarter-finalist Muchova, it was her first loss after eight successive wins in the qualifiers.
Fans of Angelique Kerber cheer for her with posters during her quarter-final match against Barbora Strycova, yesterday.
Svitolina, who broke Muchova in game eight of the first set and then a couple more times in the second, later praised the Czech youngster for a great fight.
“Yes, she was a tough opponent for me. I didn’t know much about her or her style. She can play really good tennis so I tried to move really quickly to get going for my shots,” Svitolina said.
“I am taking one day at a time,” Svitolina said about her just the second match after the Australian Open last month.
“I am trying to stay warm in these chilly conditions. I am just trying to recover and be ready for next match,” she added.
About her next match, she said: “I am just going to focus on my own game, just try to move really good and it is enjoyable to play here so I will try to enjoy the semi-final. I am sure it will be a great match for the fans to watch.”
