Wimbledon champ Halep end up for Australian Open win

Simona Halep mentioned she dreaded to assume how a lot cash she owed her coach after victory over British qualifier Harriet Dart within the Australian Open second spherical on Thursday.

The fourth seed pledged earlier this month to donate $200 to Australia’s bushfire reduction fund every time she provides her Australian coach Darren Cahill a tough time throughout matches.

Halep cruised the primary set 6-2 towards Dart, however the second set was not really easy, the Romanian stored at bay by the decided 164th-ranked Briton. Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep slapped her thigh twice after failing to place Dart away on third match level at Rod Laver Enviornment.

The previous primary lastly sealed victory on the fourth try when the 23-year-old Londoner fired lengthy, however not earlier than aiming a number of selection phrases at Cahill. “He’s counting this stuff so I am afraid to ask (how much she owes),” the 28-year-old Halep joked, after the 6-2, 6-4 win.

Cahill famously informed Halep that she was “a disgrace on the court” on the WTA Finals in November after a poor first set. Halep, winner at Wimbledon final 12 months, performs Yulia Putintseva of Ukraine or American 26th seed Danielle Collins within the third spherical in Melbourne. Halep conceded that she ought to have wrapped the match up sooner.

“It was a little bit dangerous, I lost focus a bit at the end,” she mentioned. “I prefer to play underneath stress, it’s extra enjoyable and thrilling.