By Tennis Now | Tuesday, September 25, 2018

 

Dominika Cibulkova won eight straight games to open a 6-0, 7-5, conquest of world No. 1 Simona Halep—her fourth win in her last five matches vs. Halep.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Dominika Cibulkova stood her ground to topple world No. 1 Simona Halep again.

Cibulkova streaked through eight straight games to open then withstood a four-game run from the Romanian stopping a hobbled Halep, 6-0, 7-5, to reach the Wuhan Open round of 16.

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It was Cibulkova's fourth win in her last five meetings with the reigning Roland Garros champion.

The 31st-ranked Slovak has won five of seven meetings with Halep, who took treatment in both sets for an apparent upper left thigh injury and served for the second set at 5-4.

Halep said she was pained by a back issue following a pre-tournament hitting sessionw with Petra Kvitova and lacked her typical explosive movement for the opening set today.

A feisty Cibulkova converted seven of eight break points and hit 20 winners—two more than Halep. 

Cibulkova cruised through eight straight games to open as a lethargic Halep, bothered by the upper left thigh injury, couldn't summon the resistance required to slow the Slovak.

Finally stopping her slide, Halep broke for 1-2 then took treatment for the second time. The trainer massaged her left leg during the changeover.

That treatment seemed to inspire Halep, who moved with more energy, exuded more spirit and smacked shots with more ambition rolling through a love hold to level.

By then, Halep was controlling baseline rallies, fighting for each ball and charging through four straight games for 4-2.

Serving for the set at 5-4, Halep could not close.

A pumped-up Cibulkova broke back with a barrage of blasts and shouts of "Pome!"

A jolting forehand drive volley earned Cibulkova match point in the 12th game.

In the frenetic exchange that followed, Halep fought off a series of Cibulkova crackling forehands, played a heavy topspin forehand down the middle then turned defense to offense and drew the floating reply she wanted.

Attacking net, the top seed hit her swing volley forehand crosscourt right back at Cibulkova who stood her ground and blasted a forehand pass by the world No. 1 wrapping up a one hour, 24-minute triumph.

Playing for her first quarterfinal since she reached the last eight at Wimbledon in July, Cibulkova faces Daria Kasatkina next. 

The 13th-seeded Kasatkina fought off Chinese qualifier Xiyu Wang, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8).