Simona Halep advances to Week 2 at Australian Open for 5th straight year | CBC Sports
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is into Week 2 at Melbourne Park for the fifth consecutive year.
The 14th-seeded Halep advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 victory Saturday over Danka Kovinic, a player who is ranked 98th and eliminated U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the previous round.
This was Kovinic’s first appearance in the third round of a major.
“I feel good, I feel more confident now because last year was a tough year,” Halep said. “So now I just enjoy playing tennis, I’m happy. “
None of the other players remaining the women’s draw has won as many tour-level titles as Halep’s 23.
Halep’s next opponent will be Alizé Cornet, who celebrated her 32nd birthday with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 29 Tamara Zidansek, a 2021 French Open semifinalist.
WATCH | Cornet pulls off upset over Muguruza:
Cornet followed up her upset of No. 3 Garbine Muguruza by reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time since 2009.
In another third-round match ending Saturday afternoon, 27th-seeded Danielle Collins of the U.S. rallied from a set and a break down to beat 19-year-old Clara Tauson 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Collins will next meet No. 19 Elise Mertens, who advanced 6-2, 6-2 over Zhang Shuai.
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