Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: CoCo Vandeweghe first semi-finalist – victory over Simona Halep

The American CoCo Vandeweghe has reached the semi-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the first time. In the first quarter-final of the day she beat Simona Halep 6-4, 6-1.

By Florian Goosmann from Stuttgart

Vandeweghe’s victory was well deserved: The American came close to a break twice in the first set on serve Halep, she missed two chances at 3-3. She then took her set point with her strong, flat backhand cross, with which she kept showing off; Halep finally gave up the first run with a double mistake.

The protégé of former Wimbledonchamp Pat Cash took the momentum into set two by breaking Halep directly. A 0:40 did not use the Romanian afterwards to re-enter the match, also in the service game after that Vandeweghe fended off another break point and put another break on her side.

For Vandeweghe, currently number 16 in the world, the first semi-final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is on the slip of paper. She had met Halep with some respect. “She beat the shit out of me in Madrid,” Vandeweghe recalled after their last match against Laura Siegemund yesterday – Halep won 6-1, 6-1 in Madrid a year ago. “I hope this time I get a couple more games, I get to six before she does.” No sooner said than done.

After her 6-1, 6-0 victory over Sloane Stephens and 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 over defending champion Laura Siegemund, Vandeweghe is now in the semi-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix for the first time. Last year, she failed Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16.

“Things are getting better with me and the sand. As much as you try to make him my favourite surface, he is not my favourite,” Vandeweghe apologised to the audience afterwards. “But it gets better.”

Vandeweghe will face the winner of the match between Elina Svitolina and Caroline Garcia on Saturday.

Click here for the individual tableau of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix