Simona Halep’s dominance was on full display as she routed Paula Badosa in their fourth-round match at Wimbledon on Monday. The 2019 Championships winner won 6-1, 6-2 in 59 minutes to clinch a spot in the quarter-finals.
Halep saved the only break point she faced – in the second set – while converting five break points on Badosa’s serve. Both players’ shots flew fast and furious across the court but where Halep’s shots mostly ended up as winners, the Spaniard’s finished as errors.
For the match, the former world no. 1 hit 17 winners, 10 more than her opponent’s seven and had just nine unforced errors, a little over half of Badosa’s 21. Halep went on to finish the match by winning 89% of her first-serve points to Badosa’s 46% and 68% of her second-serve points to the latter’s 43%.
Wimbledon: Simona Halep turns back time
This is the first time Halep’s reached the quarter-finals since her winning run in 2019. Next up for the two-time Major titlist is 20th seed, Amanda Anisimova. The American pipped Harmony Tan 6-2, 6-3 in their fourth-round match in an hour and 14 minutes.
Anisimova hit 28 winners and 18 unforced errors while Tan had nine winners and 12 unforced errors. Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second straight year. Tomljanovic beat Alize Cornet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes in an erratic match that saw both players struggle with their serve and with their shot-making.
In the end, while Cornet’s game flagged Tomljanovic was able to hold out a little longer to see herself through to the next round. For a chance to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon – and a Major – for the first time, Tomljanovic will play 17th seed Elena Rybakina.
The Kazakh was the first to reach the quarters on Monday with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Croatian, Petra Martic. Photo Credit: AELTC/Chloe Knott
