News

Angelique Kerber Beats Simona Halep To Reach WTA Finals Last Four

Angelique Kerber put on a stellar performance to claim her second consecutive victory at the WTA Finals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Simona Halep on Tuesday, thus booking a spot in the semi-finals of the elite eight-woman event in Singapore.

Angelique Kerber Beats Simona Halep To Reach WTA Finals Last Four

The World No. 1 German, who defeated Dominika Cibulkova in Monday’s opener, saw off fourth-seeded Romanian Halep in 82 minutes.

Meanwhile, American Madison Keys recovered from losing to Halep in her opening match to defeat Cibulkova 6-1 6-4 and remain in pursuit of the semi-finals.

Two players will advance from each of the tournament’s two groups to contest the semi-finals. Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza are in the other.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Kerber ended Serena Williams’ 186-week stay at world No. 1 after winning the US Open in September, and her signature precise forehand, which also helped her win the Australian Open in January, proved too much for Halep.

The 28-year-old German entered the match trailing Halep, who thrashed Keys in her Red Group opener, 4-3 in their head-to-head meetings but rallied back to remind everyone the powerhouse player she is.

“I’m feeling very, very good here and it’s just great to win my second match here playing my best tennis,” Kerber said. “I’m trying to enjoy all my matches here and I hope the spectators can enjoy it as well.”

Kerber played the major points particularly well, converting four of five break points, compared with Halep’s return of just one break from six opportunities.

The German has won only twice on her three previous appearances at the season finale and has never passed the group stages.

Keys defeated Cibulkova by racing through the first set in just 23 minutes.The Slovak fought back in the second but a single break in the fifth game was all Keys needed to end the match, although the permutations available in the final pool games means all four players can still advance.

SINGAPORE – OCTOBER 25: Angelique Kerber of Germany plays a backhand in her singles match against Simona Halep of Romania during day 3 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore at Singapore Sports Hub on October 25, 2016 in Singapore. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.

Recent Posts

Paul George Exits With Knee Injury As 76ers Fall To 2-12 In Loss To Grizzlies

With their big three finally back in action Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered another setback…

6 hours ago

VIDEO: Nike Pays Tribute to Rafael Nadal With 30-Foot Projection In Front of Eiffel Tower

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tny--EWynOQ Nike paid tribute to Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal with a 10-meter-tall animated display…

1 day ago

VIDEO: Rafael Nadal Gets Emotional Tribute as He Retires From Tennis

https://youtu.be/dtJoJz9hC48 Tennis legend Rafael Nadal bid a heartfelt goodbye to his devoted Spanish fans as he brought…

1 day ago

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Fencer Eli Dershwitz Explains The Art Of Fencing

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DQ9Rxhnuer4 U.S. Olympic fencer Eli Dershwitz shed light on the critical skills necessary in fencing…

2 days ago

Two Bears Offensive Linemen Return To Practice, Caleb Williams Desperate For Blocking

Two offensive linemen for the Chicago Bears returned to practice, a massive step in the…

3 days ago

VIDEO: UFC Heavyweight Champion Performs Viral Trump Dance In New York

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/s2g9t_33Myw President-elect Donald Trump received a warm welcome from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Jon…

4 days ago