WTA Doha: Simona Halep edges Julia Goerges. Svitolina and Kerber reach SF
Three of the top four seeds have reached the semi-final in Doha, together with Elise Mertens who ousted Kiki Bertens to join the big guns and stay on the title course. The 4th seed Elina Svitolina defeated a qualifier Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 22 minutes, losing just 18 points on serve and outplaying world no. 132 from the baseline to control the scoreboard and secure the place in the last four. Karolina scored one break but she needed more to stay competitive, facing 11 break points and giving serve away four times to lose the edge in the closing moments of the first and entire second set.
Elina moved 5-3 up before failing to close the set on own serve in game nine, keeping Karolina alive before breaking her again in game ten for a 6-4 after a backhand slice error from the Czech. Svitolina controlled the pace in her games in set number two and she moved 4-2 up when Muchova netted a backhand, completed the triumph with another break in game eight thanks to a lucky net cord to enter the last four. Elise Mertens needed an hour and 30 minutes to topple the 5th seed Kiki Bertens 6-4, 6-3 for the third win in four matches against the Dutch. Elise got broken twice but she erased that deficit with a solid performance on the return, scoring four breaks to seal the deal in straight sets.
The Belgian made a flying start, stealing Bertens' serve in the second game of the match to forge a 4-1 lead before Kiki bounced back to level the score at 4-4 and she had five game points for a 5-5. That final step stayed out of her reach, though, spraying a backhand error to lose serve and hand the set to her opponent. Just like in the opener, Mertens moved ahead in set number two before Kiki pulled the break back in game seven with a backhand down the line winner. Nonetheless, she netted an easy backhand a few minutes later to suffer another break before Elise crossed the finish line with a hold in game nine to advance into the semis.
2014 Doha finalist Angelique Kerber had to stay on the court for two hours and seven minutes to overpower Barbora Strycova 1-6, 6-2, 7-6, struggling for the second day in a row but finding the way to reach the semis. In the end, they both scored five breaks and Strycova won one point more than the 3rd seed, although not the ones that mattered the most. Barbora needed half an hour to claim the opener with a double break before Angelique restored the order in set number two with three breaks to send the match into a decider. From 3-0 up, Angelique lost the next four games to almost facing a defeat but breaking back in game eight, creating a match point at 5-4.
Strycova saved it to reach the tie break that Kerber won 7-4 with a forehand winner, mighty relieved to emerge as the winning player and set the Friday's clash against Elise Mertens. The top seed Simona Halep also had to dig deep, prevailing against Julia Goerges 7-6, 7-6 in two hours and one minute, keeping the chances for the second Doha crown alive. The German won 16 points less than her opponent but she scored the same number of breaks as Simona did to stay competitive, overcoming a 5-2 deficit in the opener and three set points before Simona took the tie break 7-1 after a double fault from Julia. Goerges had the advantage in set number two although it wasn't enough to force a decider, with Halep breaking at love with a return winner in game ten to prolong the set, saving two set points at 4-6 to win four straight points and cement the triumph with a forehand winner.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2BMjMJh
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