Halep to meet Svitolina in Qatar Total Open semifinals

Doha, Qatar: Top-seed Simona Halep battled her way into the semifinals of the Qatar Total Open with a 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (8-6) victory against Julia Goerges on Thursday.

Halep had eased past Lesia Tsurenko in the last 16 and seemed to have found her range early in the quarterfinal as well as she took a 5-2 lead, but the German ninth seed came back strongly to take the game into the tiebreaker. 

Though Halep took it easily, she had to face an even bigger challenge in the second set which also went into the tiebreaker.

"I'm really proud that I could stay strong mentally and also that I was fighting for every single shot," said Halep after the win.

"I feel confident now, and I feel much better. Because when you see that your level is very high, she played amazing, so it gives me more confidence and a good vibe about my tennis level. I feel good on court. I could run a lot. I'm happy with everything."

Former world No.1 Halep will take on Elina Svitolina in the semifinals after the Latvian powered through her quarterfinal match with a 6-4, 6-2 victory against Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic.

Qualifier Muchova had an impressive few days in Doha and Svitolina said she had to focus on her game for she did not know much about her opponent.

“I didn't really know much about her, so I was just trying to focus on what I have to do on my game. I had to serve good, had to return, had to move quickly," said Svitolina. “So just everything had to be good. In the end, you know, I found a way to have to beat her. Yeah, I was very happy I could do it in two sets."

Meanwhile, former World No.1 Angelique Kerber stuttered into the last four with a 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) victory against Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova.

In the match played at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Strycova was off the blocks in a hurry, winning the set with ease as her German opponent, a runner in Doha in 2014, struggled to get any sort of rhythm going.

Kerber, however, got going in the second set and had the match well in her control with an early break.

But Strycova broke back immediately to draw 3-3, putting immense pressure on Kerber who just about managed to hold on.

"In the first set, I did a lot of mistakes. I was trying, going for it, but..she was playing good. She was pushing the ball. She hit the balls really fast," said Kerber, who will take on Belgium's Elise Mertens in the last four after the world number 21 beat Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-4, 6-3.