Tennis: Simona Halep has qualified for quarterfinals of Prague tournament

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, the top seed, qualified with difficulty, on Thursday, for the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Prague, with total prizes of 202,250 US dollars, after defeating Czech Barbora Krejcikova, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Halep (28 years old), world's number two, sealed her victory after two hours and 5 minutes of playing against a modest opponent, Krejcikova (24 years old, WTA's 118).

Halep, who received medical care before the decisive set, started badly, being led 2-0, but after saving a 0-3 ball she played better and better and managed six consecutive games (6- 2), winning the game.

The two players met each other before, in 2016, in Bucharest, when Halep also won in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Halep secured a check of 5,000 US dollars and 60 WTA points for reaching the quarterfinals, where she will be facing Polish Magdalena Frech (22 years old, WTA's 174), for the first time. The Polish players came from the position of "lucky loser", defeated Dutch Arantxa Rus, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, on Thursday.