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WUHAN, China: World No.5 Simona Halep downed Madison Keys in the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open Thursday to book her place in the elite season-end WTA Final for the third consecutive year.
Big serving Keys took an early lead in the first set, breaking the Romanian’s serve twice, but was unable to maintain the momentum as Halep equalled and then took the set 6-4.
Halep — who turned 25 this week — dropped just two games to take the second set and confirm her place in the eight-player season finale in Singapore.
Only world No.1 Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams have so far qualified for the highly lucrative tournament, and the field remains wide open for the remaining five spots.
“It’s amazing to be qualified again for Singapore three years in a row. It’s a good thing. It gives me confidence,” Halep told reporters after the quarterfinal match.
In a similar style to Kerber, Halep plays off the strength of big hitters like Williams and Keys, who is often cast as the American veteran’s successor.
“She can hit very strong. She can miss some easy balls,” the Romanian said of her quarterfinal opponent.
“I don’t (have) big shots, but I have speed on the court... I like to take the ball fast. So when I do that, I think I can play at the highest level,” she added.
With Williams having taken only one Grand Slam title this year and slipped from her long-held No.1 spot in the rankings, Halep said earlier this week that she feels she now has a shot at the top.
“Every Grand Slam was another winner, Kerber two times this year. I feel now (it) is more open. I feel that I have (a) bigger chance,” said the Romanian, who ended last season as world No.2 but is yet to win a Slam.
Halep will meet two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the semifinals after she ended a strong run by Briton Johanna Konta in straight sets.
Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova squashed Agnieszka Radwanska’s hopes of qualifying for Singapore this week when she came from a set down to set up a semifinal meet with either Dominika Cibulkova or Barbora Strycova.

Kyrgios falls

Second seed and world number 15 Nick Kyrgios went down at the Chengdu Open Thursday, as South African Kevin Anderson saved two match points in an upset 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2.
The 203 cm (6’8“) 30-year-old South African smashed 24 aces in the three-set duel, battling back from an early loss to win a place in the quarterfinals against sixth seed Viktor Troicki.
Anderson has a 2-1 record in head-to-head play against the Serbian, who wore down an exhausted Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, dispatching the Cypriot to earn his sixth trip to the ATP World Tour quarterfinals of the season.
Former Australian Open finalist Baghdatis had fought an epic three-hour contest with Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta the day before.
Fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas took two-and-a-half hours to overcome 33-year-old Yen-Hsun Lu of Taiwan, who took him to three sets, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4.
Lu had more aces than the Spaniard and a higher percentage of break points saved, but Ramos-Vinolas edged him on the percentage of second-serve points won (53 percent).

Berdych moves up

Top seed and world No. 9 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic battled Mikhail Kukushkin to prevail 7-6(7), 7-6(4) and advance at the Shenzhen Open Thursday.
The 31-year-old Czech blasted 16 aces to overpower his Kazakh opponent in two sets and secure his quarterfinal berth.
Fourth-seed Bernard Tomic of Australia won a two-hour duel with American qualifier Ryan Harrison, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
The 23-year-old right hander hit only 10 aces to Harrison’s 20, but held off the American’s challenge, saving three break points to book a clash with Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the quarter finals.
It was their second head-to-head clash in an ATP competition, with Tomic winning their last meeting in 2012.
For his part the 28-year-old Bellucci notched a two-set victory over Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano, knocking down 13 aces to the Italian’s five, to advance to the quarterfinals.