Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep has got off to a winning start at the Wuhan Open after easing her way through to the third round on Tuesday.
Halep, who received a bye in the first round, brushed aside Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-2, in just under an hour-and-a-half. Despite being broken in each set, Halep managed to take control of the proceedings against her opponent. Claiming 68% of her first service points and hitting nine fewer unforced errors than her rival (21 to 30).
“It’s always tough against [Strycova],” Halep said after the win. “It’s tricky. She comes to the net. Sometimes she slices the balls. It’s never easy to play against her. But I’m confident every time because I have [a] few matches won against her, so it’s a good thing for me.”
Tuesday’s victory continues Halep’s perfect record against the Czech player. She has now won all six of their previous meetings on the tour since 2010. Their latest meeting was only the second time they have played each other in Asia.
Next up for the fourth seed will be Elena Rybakina, who recently reached the final of the Nanchang Open. The Kazakh battled her way past lucky loser Ons Jabeur 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-2. The upcoming match will be the first meeting between the two on the tour.
“It’s a good start,” Halep stated. “I’m looking forward to the next one.”
The 27-year-old hasn’t contested a final on the tour since defeating Serena Williams at Wimbledon. Since then, she has won four out of seven matches played in three tournaments. However, she only won back-to-back matches at one of those in Canada.
Despite the recent lull in her results, Halep is targeting a strong end of 2019 ahead of her reunion with former coach Darren Cahill. Who will start working with her once again from next year after taking a one-year break.
“For this period I just want to be better because every year I promised myself that I will do the best I can, and I couldn’t for different reasons.” She explained.
“Now I feel healthy, I feel motivated, I feel fresh. I just want to go there and win every match I play.”
Halep’s best performance in Wuhan took place in 2016 when she reached the semi-finals before losing to Petra Kvitova.
