Want to watch a counterpuncher completely dismantle a big-hitter?
If you didn’t see it live, then watch the replay of Simona Halep’s masterful destruction of Karolina Pliskova in Australian Open quarterfinals.
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The world No.1 demonstrated her top-seeded chops in a resounding 6-3 6-2 win over the sixth seed, sending her through to her first career semifinal at Melbourne Park and just two wins away from her maiden Grand Slam title.
"I think was a great match. The best this tournament. I started slow a little bit. Then I got used to the rhythm. I got used to everything. I played very well," Halep said.
"I can say I can read her game a little bit better. But still every match is difficult. You never know with her because she has crazy good shots sometimes and also the serve. But I read her serve many times today. I just was very strong on the return. I think that's why I could start to dominate the game. She was a little bit upset because she couldn't take the serve."
To describe Halep as a counterpuncher, is, perhaps, misleading. Her game is indeed built around supreme consistency and impenetrable defence, and a canny knack for picking the right shot on which to attack.
But the Romanian on Wednesday bolstered that style with a controlled, relentless aggression for which Pliskova seemed completely unprepared.
After dropping the first three games and facing a break point for 0-4 against the fast-starting Czech, Halep embarked on a spectacular nine-game run notable for a succession of winners. "It was a nice feeling," she smiled.
She blasted a backhand winner to break serve for a 4-3 lead, held comfortably for 5-3, and produced two more winners – backhand return and forehand on the run – to reach 0-40 and a bundle of set points, which she converted.
The statement about Halep’s dismantling of a big hitter, however, remains true. She completely neutralised Pliskova’s serve, restricting the Czech – who regularly tops the annual WTA ace tally – to just three aces for the entire match.
And Pliskova’s groundstroke power failed to really bother Halep; the Romanian absorbed the flat strikes and sent her own groundstrokes back with added sting.
Pliskova, unaccustomed to this rally dynamic, was rattled, and visibly frustrated.
"My serve is not that effective on her. She returns pretty well. She's strong on the backhand side," Pliskova said, after falling to 1-6 lifetime against Halep.
"I don't think I did something that wrong. Maybe just the big points I play bad against her, then it's change quickly. I think all the matches were pretty similar. Even though we went three sets (in other matches), I just have the feeling it's similar. Even in practice, I feel she just likes my game."
She fell behind 0-3 and 30-40 in the second set before a searing backhand passing shot winner got her on the board and broke the Romanian’s run of unanswered games.
But this brief rally did nothing to snap Halep out of her focused zone. A pair of aces from Pliskova in the sixth game helped her fend off an embarrassing 1-5 deficit, but she wouldn’t win another game.
Halep belted a return winner at Pliskova’s feet two games later to draw an error and seal victory in a surprisingly quick 71 minutes.
The result means that Halep has now reached at least the semifinal stage of all four Grand Slam tournaments. And it sets up a blockbuster showdown with the unbeaten-in-2018 Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion.
That promises to be fun.
Halep belted a return winner at Pliskova’s feet two games later to draw an error and seal victory in a surprisingly quick 71 minutes.
The result means that Halep has now reached at least the semifinal stage of all four Grand Slam tournaments. And it sets up a blockbuster showdown with the unbeaten-in-2018 Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion.
That promises to be fun.