By Chris Oddo | Monday March 28, 2016
Timea Bacsinszky and Simona Halep eached moved through early on Monday to set up a quarterfinal clash at Miami.
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Simona Halep and Timea Bacsinszky will meet for the third time in the Miami Open quarterfinals after both won their round of 16 battles early Monday.
Halep eased past Great Britain’s Heather Watson, 6-3, 6-4, to improve to 3-0 against the 23-year-old Wild Card. Halep won more than half of her return points on the day and earned 14 break opportunities, converting five.
Halep, making her fifth Miami appearance, reached the semifinals before losing to Serena Williams last year.
Bacsinszky reached the quarterfinals for the first time by rallying from a set down to take out Agnieszka Radwanska, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
After a nervous start, Bacsinszky amped up her game and took over the match to improve her lifetime record over Radwanska to 2-0.
Radwanska, the Tour’s win leader with 19 on the season, fails to reach the semifinals of an event for the first time this season.
Bacsinszky started the year at 1-5, but has since won seven of her last nine. She improves to 4-13 versus the WTA’s Top 5 with the win.
Halep owns the lifetime edge over Bacsinszky of 2-0. She defeated the Swiss in the Shenzhen final in straight sets in their last meeting.