World No.2 Simona Halep breezed past Poland's Magdalena Frech with a commanding 6-2 6-0 victory on Friday to enter the semi-finals of the Prague Open. Halep said that she was gradually returning to top form following her hiatus due to COVID-19.
The 28-year-old was brimming with confidence and shrugged off any rustiness that withheld her during the beginning of her campaign against Barbora Krejcikova and Polona Hercog. She went on to score a comfortable victory against 174th-ranked Frech.
Aggressive Gameplay and Movement
Halep told reporters that, "I felt better on court today. The fact that she was not hitting very strong meant that I had time to play my game, to be more aggressive." She added, "I did better than previous days. But those days helped me to find the rhythm and the energy on court. I recovered well... I moved better, was more aggressive... that helped me to finish the points, to get the confidence back."
"Even if I'm not yet at my highest level, I'm improving, which is good. I'm happy about it... I don't feel insecure on court. I feel that my game is going to be there soon. I just have to work a little bit more," expressed Halep.
One Step Away From the Finals
Two-times Grand Slam champion Halep next takes on compatriot Irina-Camelia Begu or Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo. Begu had won the opening set of her match against Tormo when rain suspended play.
Earlier, third seed Elise Mertens reached the last-four by beating Canadian wildcard Eugenie Bouchard 6-4 1-6 6-4. She next plays Kristyna Pliskova, who advanced after Ana Bogdan retired due to an injury while leading 5-2 in the first set of their quarter-final.
(With inputs from agencies)
