Second seed Simona Halep has kept her chances of returning back to world No.1 alive after outlasting Slovakia’s Polona Hercog 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-2, in a marathon third round encounter at the Miami Open.
Halep, who was also troubled by an injury issue throughout the match, struggled to dictate the clash due to some inspired play from her rival. Hercog has only defeated one top 10 player in her career and hasn’t been ranked in the world’s top 50 since 2012. Nevertheless, Halep was pushed to her limits as she rallied from a set down. Hitting 20 winners, but a costly 39 unforced errors.
“It was a tough match. She played unbelievable.” Halep said during her on-court interview. “I think both of us played much better in the end than at the beginning.’
“I’m really happy with this victory. It means a lot. The fact I stayed there, running like crazy for three hours. It makes me happier and more confident.“
On paper Halep was the clear favourite to win. During her career the reigning French Open champion had earned almost $26 million in prize money than her opponent and 16 more WTA titles (18-2). Nevertheless, it was the Romanian that was on the back foot throughout the opening set. Lacking energy initially, Halep’s patchy play was rightfully punished by Hercog’s ability to mix up her shots with both aggression and slice.
Besides facing a determined opponent, the second seed also required a medical time out five games into the match. Requiring tape on her left knee, which was causing her some discomfort. However, visually she was still able to run and move freely around the court.
There were glimmers of Halep’s top form as her grunting decibels rose on route to retrieving a break to level 4-4. Despite the mini resurgence, a calm Hercog continued with her offensive. Pushing Halep around the court with a clever use of angle shots and some sublime defensive play. Something she illustrated perfectly in the 11th game to break once again for the opportunity to serve the set out. A task she achieved with the help of a Halep backhand ploughing into the net. Prompting a roar of ‘come on’ from the Slovak.
Halep’s frustrations continued with the smashing of her rackets on the ground. Every time it looked as if the former world No.1 was gaining in momentum, she was denied by some audacious play by Hercog. Who clawed her way back from a 3-5 deficit in the second frame. It was in the tiebreaker where Halep finally got the breakthrough she desired. Elevating her aggressive play she powered her way past Hercog to take proceedings into a decider. Prompting an almighty cheer from her fans in the crowd.
Avoiding becoming the latest high-profile casualty at the Hard Rock Stadium, Halep continued to battle towards the finish line again her tiring opponent. A decline in Hercog’s form paved way for her to break twice during the decider to close in on the victory. Serving for a place in the fourth round, Halep closed the match out with a love game that concluded with a forehand cross-court winner.
“Slowly I’m finding my rhythm again. The fact I’m not giving up any points means a lot. It gives me confidence to go through and believe that I can win every match I play.” The 27-year-old evaluated about her latest performance.
“If I have this feeling like last year, when I finish at number one, I have to keep doing this. If I keep doing this I think I have a chance to be back to world number one.”
Halep is one of two players that has a shot of dethroning Naomi Osaka from the top of the rankings in Miami. To do so she needs to reach the final to have a chance.
The next test for the Romanian comes in the shape of 38-year-old Venus Williams, who made her Miami debut back in 1997. The American encountered little difficulty during her 6-3, 6-1, win over Daria Kasatkina. Williams is a three-time Miami champion, but last won it back in 2001.
Halep is tied at 3-3 in her head-to-head with Williams, but has won their three most recent meetings on the tour. Including the Australian Open earlier this year.
