Simona Halep rallied from a set and break down to topple Madison Keys 6-7 6-4 6-3 as she stormed into the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships.
The fifth-seeded Romanian trailed 7-6 2-0 against her ninth-seeded American nemesis before turning the table around with some impressive defensive strategy to cruise for a win in an hour and 55 minutes.
Keys was the aggressor of the two as she hit 32 winners – against 13 of Halep – and committed 48 unforced errors against the latter’s 10. It, however, didn’t help her from entering her second consecutive quarter-finals here.
Reflecting on her win, Halep said: “It was a tough match. She’s a very strong player. Her serve is very difficult to return. I’m really happy to win.
“I just wanted to make my game aggressive and finish the match. I just wanted to stay strong mentally after she dominated at 2-0 up in the second set having won the first.”
Moving on, Halep is scheduled to cross the swords with Germany’s No. 4 seed Angelique Kerber.
VENUS CREATES HISTORY
Bidding to win her first Wimbledon title since 2008, five-time champion Venus Williams, the No. 8 seed, continued her fine showing as she thumped Spain’s 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 6-4 to seal her quarter-final berth.
By the virtue of this win, Venus becomes the oldest player in the Ladies Singles’ category to qualify for the last-eight stage in 22 years.
