Wimbledon 2017: Halep displays title credentials with straight-sets win over Azarenka

ByKevin Coulson

Updated 10/07/2017 at 15:13 GMT

Simona Halep sent new mum Victoria Azarenka packing 7-6(3) 6-2 in the fourth round as a litany of second-set errors put paid to the Belarussian's dreams of a fairytale Wimbledon comeback.

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Azarenka, playing in her second tournament after the birth of her son Leo in December, out-hit and out-thought the second-seeded Romanian for much of a pulsating first set, mixing deep groundstrokes with frequent dropshots and forays to the net.

But the two-times semi-finalist at the All England Club began to flag in the first-set tie-break, losing it 7-3 before conceding the next five games.

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Romania’s Simona Halep in action during her fourth round match against Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka REUTERS

Image credit: Reuters

A mini fightback pegged the second-set deficit back to 5-2 before another Azarenka backhand groundstroke error saw Halep home in just under 90 minutes, keeping alive the Romanian's hopes of a maiden grand slam victory and an ascent to the world number one ranking.

Halep will face Britain's Johanna Konta in the quarter- finals.

Reporting by Reuters

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