By Chris Oddo | Friday January 18, 2019
Simona Halep is starting to feel happy at the Happy Slam.
The Romanian delivered a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Venus Williams to kick off the evening session on Margaret Court Arena, setting a highly anticipated fourth-round clash with Serena Williams for Monday in Melbourne.
Halep evened her lifetime ledger with Williams, notching her third straight victory against the American in 77 minutes behind 21 winners and five of six break points saved.
“It’s always a big challenge to play against the Williams sisters so I was super motivated today,” Halep said after the match.
Halep won the final five games of the opening set thanks to a clutch sixth game that saw her save four break points to hold for 4-2.
The pair traded breaks in the first two games of the second set before Halep broke things open with a break for 4-3. The World No.1 would finish on a tear, winning 12 of the final 16 points as she broke again to clinch the match.
Halep increases her hopes of remaining No.1 after the Australian Open, but six other players are still in contention.
Halep has faced Serena Williams nine times in her career and she has only managed one triumph, at the WTA Finals in 2014. Williams has won their last five matches.
“I have nothing to lose—I play against a great champion,” said Halep. “It’s going to be a bigger challenge, but I’m ready to face it.”
Halep has had her struggles in Melbourne in week one, but seemed to put them behind her on Day 6. In her first match she was down a set and break against Kaia Kanepi but recovered to win in three. On Day 4 20-year-old American Sofia Kenin had Halep by a break in the final set but couldn’t finish the resilient Romanian off.
Halep’s magic shouldn’t come as a surprise. She saved match points in two different matches en route to the final at last year’s Australian Open.