Simona Halep, who qualified for the round of 16 at the Australian Open , said that she feels very well physically and mentally.
‘I feel great physically, first of all. Mentally I have confidence and I am strong. I feel the game and the joy of playing tennis, and I think that helps me to be optimistic, to be confident that I have a chance every time I enter the court. I feel in a good moment and I think I can play good tennis here,” said Halep, quoted by the website of the Melbourne competition.
“It’s the best tennis I’ve played in months,” added the former world number one, who won the Melbourne Summer Set 1 tournament in the first week of the new season.
Halep, a finalist in 2018, qualified for the round of 16 at the Australian Open for the fifth consecutive year.
The Romanian won all eight matches in 2022, and her record in the third round of Grand Slam competitions reached 21 wins and 3 losses. She won all 6 sets played in Melbourne, losing only 12 games.
Halep (30 years old, 15th WTA), seed number 14, also said that she feels “fresh” and that she does not feel the pressure, but she has “claims” from her, because she worked a lot in the preseason.
Simona Halep, in the round of 16 at the Australian Open. He has won 11 sets in a row
Simona Halep easily qualified for the round of 16 of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after defeating Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-1 in the third round on Saturday in Melbourne
“It was a great match. I think I played quality tennis. She was a bit tired, but I’m happy with the way I played. I feel good to have reached the second week of the tournament ,” commented Halep after match.
Halep, who comes after winning 11 sets in a row, will play in the round of 16 against the French Alize Cornet, who turned 32 on Saturday. Cornet was led by one set and 4-1 by the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek, but prevailed 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Simona Halep – Alize Cornet, in the round of 16, at the Australian Open
Simona Halep, seed number 14, won after only 64 minutes the confrontation with Danka Kovinic, score 6-2, 6-1.
It was Halep’s eighth straight win this year, after winning the Melbourne Summer Set 1 title. She has 14 wins in her last 15 matches played.
Halep secured a check for 328,000 Australian dollars and 240 WTA points.
Simona Halep’s opponent in the round of 16 will be the French Alize Cornet (32 years old, 61 WTA), who on Saturday defeated the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, after previously eliminating Garbine Muguruza, the third favorite.
Cornet leads the head-to-head matches with Halep with a score of 3-1. The Romanian’s only victory took place in 2013, in Sofia, with 6-4, 6-4. Cornet prevailed in 2011, in the first round in Monterrey, with 7-5, 6-1, in 2014, in Dubai, he took advantage of Simona’s withdrawal with a score of 6-1, 1-1, and in 2015 he won in Madrid , in the first round, with 7-6 (6), 6-3.
