Australian Open: 15:13 in third set: Halep fights his way to the last sixteen.

World number one Simona Halep fought her way to the Australian Open’s last sixteen in a dramatic 3:45 hour match in Melbourne.

The 26-year-old Romanian Halep won in the third longest women’s singles of the tournament against Lauren Davis (USA) with 4:6,6:4,15:13. Davis had won in the previous round against Andrea Petkovic (Darmstadt).

“I’ve never played such a long third set before,”said Halep, who had fought off three match balls at 10:11:”I’m half dead,” and in the first round Halep had been knocked over and played in pain,”I don’t know how my ankle is doing right now. I don’t feel it anymore,”she said.

Halep will meet Ashleigh Barty (Australia/No. 18) or Naomi Osaka (Japan) on Monday. The two-time French Open finalist is still waiting for her first Grand Slam title. In Melbourne, Halep has never before made it past the quarter-finals.