Halep powers past Ruse in Melbourne

Former World No.1 Simona Halep reverted to her Grand Slam winning form on Thursday, breezing past compatriot Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the Melbourne Summer Set I.

The World No.20 required just 61 minutes to overcome Ruse, cruising through their Round of 16 encounter with a 6-2 6-1 victory. It was all Halep from the start, as she raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set before clinching it after just half an hour.

The second set saw Halep display some of her best tennis, maneuvering her opponent around the court with impeccable placement. Ruse did her best to survive this onslaught, although her serve faltered as she won only 3 out of 25 points on her second serve. Halep was quick to capitalize on this weakness, breaking her opponent thrice in the second set to secure the match.

The two-time Grand Slam champion will face Viktorija Golubic in the quarterfinals, as the Swiss star defeated the unseeded Leslie Kerkhove in her Round of 16 match.