Friday at the China Open is all about women’s quarterfinal matches and the first to make the semifinals was second seed Simona Halep, who needed just 69 minutes to beat Daria Kasatkina 6-2 6-1, the 34th-ranked player who defeated her in the second round of the Wuhan Open last week, with the exact same scoreline!
The Beijing tournament seems to be a place of revenge and catching up with lost chances for Halep. So far this season Halep has failed to grab the number one ranking five times — at Roland Garros, Eastbourne, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, and the US Open — and now she will finally reach the top spot if she makes the final, or if Elina Svitolina also makes the final, the China Open champion will be a new No.