Halep advances to quarterfinals with close victory over Mertens

Romanian Simona Halep was made to work on Rod Laver Arena as she overcame big-hitting Belgian Elise Mertens in the fourth round at the 2020 Australian Open.

After a decisive victory over Putintseva in the previous round, Halep faced a much tougher challenge in Mertens.

The World No.3 was able to overcome her aggressive opponent, winning the match 6-4 6-4.

Despite the relatively comfortable score, the match was anything but as Halep had to save numerous break points. Furthermore, she was under relentless attack from the Belgian, who hit 36 winners. However, her inconsistency was evident as she also committed 38 unforced errors.

Halep relied on her formidable speed and accuracy to outplay her opponent, capitalizing on 5 of 14 break points. Mertens eventually succumbed to her own mistakes, perhaps precipitated by Halep's incredible defense and consistency.

The reigning Wimbledon champion finished the match in an hour and 38 minutes. She next faces the winner between 28th seed Anett Kontaveit and unseeded Iga Swiatek.

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