Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep survived a couple of tumbles and a sore wrist before surging into the Australian Open second round on Tuesday.
The Romanian fourth seed recovered from a poor start to beat the big-hitting American Jennifer Brady 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 and launch her title bid.
The 2018 Roland Garros and 2019 Wimbledon champion faces British qualifier, Harriet Dart, next in Melbourne.
The 28-year-old Halep had her serve broken in the first game by the 49th-ranked Brady, who defeated world number one Ashleigh Barty in the build-up to the year’s first Grand Slam.
Halep, the 2018 runner-up, was uncharacteristically flustered, taking a couple of falls, tossing her racquet and complaining to her coach.
She appeared to hurt her right wrist in one fall in the first set, and had heavy strapped by a medic.
“A little bit sore but nothing dangerous at this moment,” the former world number one said afterwards.
“So I will see tomorrow morning after I wake up.”
With both players relentlessly pummelling from the baseline, Halep finally put a punishing first set away in 69 tough minutes, having saved three set points to force the tie-break.
The second set was far more straightforward as the 24-year-old Brady appeared to run out of gas and Halep made light of her painful wrist.
AFP
