Simona Halep to face Maria Sharapova at the China Open
Sharapova boasts a 7-0 record against Halep ahead of their latest meeting in Beijing which is a rematch of their US Open encounter
Tuesday 3 October 2017 15:21, UK
World No 2 Simona Halep set up a mouth-watering rematch with Maria Sharapova at the China Open on Tuesday after her opponent Magdalena Rybarikova retired ill.
Halep advanced after Slovakian Rybarikova was forced to pull out of her match when trailing 6-1 2-1 on Tuesday
Sharapova, who has never lost to Halep in seven previous meetings, beat compatriot Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 4-6 6-1 to record a second consecutive three-set victory in Beijing earlier in the day.
The Russian is on the comeback trail since April following the ban for taking the banned substance meldonium, but the 30-year-old, who is a lowly 104 in the world and received a wildcard entry for China, is relishing her showdown with Halep, saying: "We know each other's games very well, that's no secret. They've always been very challenging, tough, competitive, emotional."
Sharapova, a crowd favourite in Beijing, added: "But I love the challenge of playing against someone that's number two in the world. She's a great player, she's had a great year.
"Any time you're able to face an opponent that's done something right and well, it's great to see where you are and where your level is."
The Halep meeting will be a replay of the first-round match between the pair at the US Open in August, when Sharapova made an impressive return to Grand Slam competition before exiting in the fourth round.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova dominated American qualifier Varvara Lepchenko in a battle of left-handers, the Czech winning 88 percent of points on serve to progress to the third round with a routine 6-4 6-4 victory.
Kvitova faces fifth seed Carolina Wozniacki next, in what promises to add another intriguing chapter to their eight-year rivalry.
Number 12 seed Kvitova holds a 6-5 lead in her head-to-head record with Wozniacki, having won their last two matches in straight sets.
Karolina Pliskova, the fourth seed from the Czech Republic, booked her spot in round three with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Andrea Petkovic of Germany.
Sky Sports Tennis will have all the action from the ATP China Open, Japan Open and Shanghai Masters before the action heads to Paris.
The Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and season-ending extravaganza World Tour Finals at London's O2 in November end another memorable year which will covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with live blogs and updates as the season reaches its climax.
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