By Chris Oddo | wednesday August 17, 2016
2016 Western and Southern Open runner-up Simona Halep eased into the third round on Wednesday.
Photo Source: Tom Robbins/Getty
Simona Halep hadn’t played since early August when she won the second of back-to-back titles at Montreal.
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No worries--the Romanian still knows how to win. Halep notched her 11th consecutive win with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Annika Beck on Wednesday to book her spot in the Western and Southern Open’s round of 16.
“I feel confident,” Halep said. “I had pretty good tournaments before coming here and I feel my game.”
Halep broke five times on eight opportunities to move through in 55 minutes. She said she was nervous at the start, but was happy to find her game quickly on a muggy day in Cincinnati.
“I was a little bit nervous before the match because I had two weeks after without matches,” she said. “Always, like anyone says, it's tough, the first match of the tournament. Now I'm more relaxed and I'm looking already forward to the next one.”
Halep will face Australian Daria Gavrilova in the next round. The Aussie qualifier knocked off Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
Other winners on a busy Wednesday in the Queen City were 10th-seeded Johanna Konta, who eased past qualifier Donna Vekic, and Barbora Strycova, who knocked off Samantha Stosur in straight sets.
Misaki Doi, Timea Babos and 6th-seeded Roberta Vinci also moved through.