By Chris Oddo | Thursday July 14, 2016
Hometown hero Simona Halep booked her quarterfinal slot at the BRD Bucharest Open with a straight-sets win over Isabella Shinikova.
Photo Source: Bucharest Open
Simona Halep reached the quarterfinals of her hometown tournament, the BRD Bucharest Open, with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Bulgaria’s Isabella Shinikova on Thursday.
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Halep, the 2014 champion, needed just 70 minutes to ease past the 24-year-old qualifier behind five breaks of serve.
But Shinikova caused some problems for the top seed, breaking twice late to stave off defeat before Halep finally closed out the victory.
After moving ahead 2-1 in the opener with a break of serve, Halep found herself in trouble while serving at 4-3 and facing a break point. The Romanian would work her way out of the jam and close out the opening set on her fifth set point when a backhand return by Shinikova sailed wide.
After falling behind by a double-break, Shinikova broke the Halep serve twice consecutively to stay in touch in set two, but she could consolidate either time and never got back on serve.
Halep would close affairs with a backhand down-the-line return winner to close out the victory and book a spot in the quarterfinals alongside Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic.
Kovinic defeated Russia’s Polina Leykina, 6-3, 6-2.
In other action on Thursday in Bucharest, second-seeded Sara Errani advanced when compatriot Francesca Schiavone retired after the pair split the first two sets with what appeared to be a right shoulder injury.
Errani will face Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the quarterfinals. The seventh seed defeated Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig, 6-2, 6-2.