Makarova crushes Halep in Australian Open quarterfinals
Ekaterina Makarova advanced to the Australian Open semifinals with a dominant performance against Simona Halep on Tuesday.
The 10th-seeded Russian cruised to a 6-4, 6-0 victory, on a day when Halep hardly looked like a No. 3 player.
It's the first time Makarova has advanced past the quarterfinals in Melbourne, and her second straight Grand Slam semifinal appearance. She'll next face either Maria Sharpova or Eugenie Bouchard.
#Makarova "I love it. It's a great feeling. I'm so happy I came through. She's a tough opponent." #ausopen
— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2015
Makarova took advantage of a slow and mistake-prone Halep. The Romanian had four double faults, converted just one-of-nine break point opportunities and finished with 31 unforced errors.
Interesting remarks from Simona Halep. Said didn't feel pressure but felt "stressed," and that reaching quarterfinals is "enough." #AusOpen
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 27, 2015
Halep had entered the tournament with a title already in the books after winning in Shenzhen, China earlier this month. Makarova, meanwhile, went into Melbourne on the heels of an early exit in Sydney.