Halep qualifies for Stuttgart Open quarters

Stuttgart, April 26: First-seeded Romanian Simona Halep has qualified for the quarter-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix here, winning in three sets against Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia. Halep, currently ranked No 1 in the world, entered the quarter-finals after winning against the world’s 18th ranked Rybarikova 4-6, 6-2 and 6-3 in a match that lasted one hour and 52 minutes on Wednesday, reports Efe.

She will play her next match against the winner of Thursday’s match between German Laura Siegemund and American Coco Vandeweghe. Germany’s Angelique Kerber, ranked 12th in the world, reached the Round of 16, beating Czech Petra Kvitova, the eighth seeded, 6-3, 6-2. Second seeded Spanish Garbine Muguruza, will debut in the tournament this Thursday directly in the round of 16 against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat American Madison Keys 7-6 (7), 5-7 and 6-4 in two hours and 44 minutes. IANS