By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 24, 2018
Luring the top seed forward with a teasing drop shot, Agnieszka Radwanska turned up the torment flicking a lob over Simona Halep's head.
Radwanska redirected brilliantly running the world No. 1 right out of Cradon Park, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the Miami Open round of 16.
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The 30th-seeded Radwanska had not won back-to-back matches since January when she scored her last win over a Top 10 player, knocking off ninth-ranked Johanna Konta in Sydney.
In a match of highly-skilled counter-punchers who can create art of angles, Radwanska defended with determination, drew Halep forward on key points and passed with precision raising her 2018 record to 9-6, including a 5-1 mark in three-setters.
The 2012 Miami champion moves on to a round of 16 meeting with either three-time former champion Victoria Azarenka or 20th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova.
Though Halep lost the match, she won't lose the world No. 1 ranking.
The Romanian's exit came about 16 hours after 2016 Olympic gold medal champion Monica Puig bounced world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki out, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, in a raucous night upset.
The Australian Open champion later took to social media charging some fans with threatening members of her entourage during the match.
Australian Open runner-up Halep arrived on Key Biscayne trying to shake the scar tissue of dropping nine straight games in a moody implosion to Naomi Osaka in the Indian Wells semifinals last week.
Halep froze out coach Darren Cahill during that match and did not call for her coach in her 11th career clash with Radwanska.
Initially, Halep was sharper at the start. She swooped forward for forehand swing volley to break at 15 for 2-0. Halep broke again at 30—the third break in opening four games—for 3-1.
Hammering deep returns that forced Radwanska to dance back from the baseline, Halep broke again in the eighth game then hammered through a hold to serve out the set in the ninth game.
The world No. 1 converted all three break-point chances snatching a one-set lead after 32 minutes.
Trying to shake off the slow start, the 2012 champion answered with a love hold then broke a suddenly ornery Halep.
Radwanska reeled off 12 of the first 14 points against an erratic opponent extending the lead to 3-0.
Trying to attack behind a backhand, Halep saw Radwanska feather a running backhand pass down the line. Radwanska converted her fourth break point charging out to a 4-0 lead.
At that point, Halep looked completely out of sorts, but she began to hit shots with greater purpose, break then saved a pair of break points holding in the sixth game.
That was a brief reprieve as Halep closed a horrendous set tapping a drop shot attempt into net. Halep committed four times as many errors—16 to 4—in the 30-minute second set.
Putting an eight-game walkabout behind her, Halep made a determined burst. Catching up to a challenging drop shot, she nudged a backhand angle breaking at love to start the decider.
Anticipating the direction of a Halep drive volley, Radwanska held her ground flicking a pass down the line to break back for 2-all.
Though this was a baseline match, Radwanska's superior net skills were evident on pivotal points. Halep pushed a lunging volley deep to face break point in the eighth game.
The top seed slapped a forehand into net giving Radwanska the break and a 5-3 lead.
Dictating a 16-shot rally, Halep had Radwanska on the defense, stepped in mid-court but drilled a forehand into the tape to give the veteran match point.
Halep scattered a forehand wide as Radwanska raised a clenched fist completing a resourceful win in one hour, 44 minutes.