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By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, February 16, 2018

 
Simona Halep

Simona Halep won seven straight games stopping American qualifier CiCi Bellis, 6-0, 6-4, surging into her third semifinal of the season in Doha.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Simona Halep insists regaining the world No. 1 ranking is not on her mind.

The second-ranked Romanian’s churning legs and crackling strikes tell a different story in Doha.

More: Muguruza Rallies Into Doha Semifinals

Halep charged through seven straight games then fended off a second-set fight defeating American qualifier CiCi Bellis, 6-0, 6-4, rolling into her third semifinal of the season at the Qatar Total Open.

"I’m very pleased with the way that I’m playing," Halep said. "It’s a great feeling. I feel great here. It’s really nice to play semifinals here. It was a tough match even if the first set was a little easier. She’s a great opponent and it's always tough to stay focused to the very end."

Playing a brilliant first set, Halep showed stubborn spirit in a tight second set keeping her hopes of regaining the world No. 1 ranking alive.

Halep can surpass world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki for the top spot if she goes one round further than her Australian Open conqueror this week.

Though the top spot is in sight, Halep tries to keep it off her mind.

“I’m playing my tennis because I do better when I play my best tennis and not thinking about the ranking,” Halep said. “If it’s gonna happen it will feel really nice.”

The 2014 Doha champion will face fourth-seeded GarbiƱe Muguruza for a place in the Qatar Total Open final on Sunday. Muguruza has won three of four meetings with Halep, including a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing in the Cincinnati final last summer.

"I think we played a lot of times," Muguruza said. "I look for a difficult match, that’s what I want, actually."

The Wimbledon champion converted four of six break points rallying past seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in a one-hour, 54-minute quarterfinal that opened today’s singles schedule.

The Halep-Bellis match was a tale of two dramatically different sets.

Moving fluidly and striking boldly down the lines, Halep was in full flight soaring the opening set. She pounced on the 18-year-old qualifier’s second serve breaking to open then converting her fifth break point in bursting to a 3-0 lead.

Stretching the teenager side-to-side, Halep drew a netted forehand sealing a shutout set in 31 minutes.

It was near-flawless tennis from Halep, who hit 10 winners compared to two for Bellis and converted three of 10 break point chances.

The opening set showed Bellis’ weaknesses: her second serve can sit up short in the box and while she’s exceptionally quick around the court she lacks the leg strength of the three-time major finalist.

The second set showed Bellis’ strengths: she has a love for the fight, can strike with accuracy on the run and has stood up to the pace of three Grand Slam finalists this week beating Madison Keys and Karolina Pliskova and testing Halep in the second set.

Bellis broke and held for the first time for 2-1.

Ratcheting up the return pressure, Bellis earned break points in the sixth game. Halep hit two aces and a smash to save three of them.

The pair engaged in a pulsating running rally on the sixth break point with Halep hammering a drive to draw the error. The three-time Grand Slam finalist fought through a punishing hold for 3-all.

That physical test seemed to take more out of the teenager as Halep broke for 4-3, but the Australian Open finalist gagged bashing a point-blank smash into net then slapping a short forehand into net gifting back the break in the eighth game.

Romanian fans began chanting “Simona! Simona!” urging the second seed to shake it off.

Halep answered the call earning double break point. A spooked Bellis double faulted away the game and a 5-4 lead to Halep, who converted her sixth break in her 19th break point.

Simona Halep
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Superior serving and the Romanian's willingness to work the point and play patient tennis under pressure helped Halep raise her record to 14-1 on the season.

"It was really tough to finish the points because she’s moving really well and defending pretty well and also she’s playing fast," Halep said. "But in the end I just served better, in the last game, and I was a little bit more aggressive."

After a tough second set, Halep showed dynamic tennis to close. Hammering an ace and a heavy forehand brought Halep to two match points.

She slashed a forehand down the line and threw a hearty fist pump after a one hour, 22-minute triumph.


 

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