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By Chris Oddo | Wednesday March 14, 2018

 
Simona Halep

Simona Halep battled past Petra Martic and improved to 18-1 on the season on Wednesday at Indian Wells.

Photo Source: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America)

Simona Halep is acting—and playing—like a true No.1 in 2018. The Romanian has had her fair share of difficult matches, including several in Australian when she was severely hobbled by an ankle injury, but always she has put her work boots on and fought bravely, win or lose.

Today was no exception as the 26-year-old improved to 18-1 on the season by braving gusty conditions and a tricky Petra Martic, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. It was a struggle from start to finish, and at times Halep looked demoralized, but she found the energy to summon her best tennis last and snatched the final five games of the match after falling behind 3-1 in the final set.

“I think I calmed down myself a little bit more, and I just was more focused on what I have to do, not about the wind, not thinking that much about the wind and what is going on on court,” Halep said after the match. “I just fought till the end, and I think that's why I could win.”

In blustery conditions, Martic and Halep played a very solid match, each probing the other effectively. Martic, who will crack the top 40 for the first time in her career next week, was particularly effective with the forehand, while Halep eventually started to dictate off of both wings down the stretch.


Clearly the wind was a bit of an equalizer for Martic, who doesn’t have the game to match with Halep in ideal conditions. This may have been what frustrated Halep so much over the course of the second set.

“I panicked a little bit,” she said. “But, you know, you have just to keep the ball in play and just trying to find the angles. But also, you have to see where the wind is going, because you can be helped by the wind a little bit, but it's really tough.”

Conditions were better in the evening set as Naomi Osaka matched her career-best win by deconstructing World No.5 Karolina Pliskova, 6-2, 6-3. It was an impressive effort from the 20-year-old Osaka, who was in control from start to finish and managed to overpower the hard-hitting Pliskova with a steady, aggressive game.

Osaka won 39 of 69 return points and broke six times on ten opportunities—no small task against the 6’1” ace machine. Pliskova was bidding for three straight semifinals at Indian Wells but was overmatched on Wednesday against a rising star who is clearly coming into her own.

“When I got the break in the first game, I sort of shifted a little bit more attention to returning, because it seemed like she was a little bit unconfident on her serve today,” Osaka said. “I tried to focus a lot on returning and just making her play a lot of balls.” Osaka improves to 7-2 lifetime at Indian Wells and 11-4 on the season. With her victory she becomes the first player from Japan to reach the last four of a Premier Mandatory event. She is the first player from Japan to reach the semifinal at Indian Wells in 22 years, since Kimiko Date-Krumm achieved the feat (before the tournament was deemed Premier Mandatory by the WTA)


Halep owns a 3-0 lifetime record against Osaka with wins against her in each of the last three seasons.

 

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