Simona Halep is one match closer to claiming the world No.1 ranking after reaching the third round at Eastbourne.
The 25-year-old Romanian battled past Chinese qualifier Ying-Ying Duan 3-6 6-3 6-2 in a rain-interrupted match played over two days.
Halep needs to reach at least the semifinals this week to have a chance of overtaking German Angelique Kerber atop of the WTA rankings.
Can @Simona_Halep become World No.1 at the #AegonInternational?
YES! HOW? ???? pic.twitter.com/59lFugvVgI
— WTA (@WTA) June 28, 2017
“Now that I’m so close (to the No.1 ranking), it’s like it’s coming more into my mind and into my soul,” Halep told WTA Insider earlier this week.
“I really want to get there. I’m close but still far. So I have just to take match by match and to do everything I can to be No. 1. It’s going to be a big thing for me.”
Halep returned to the court for her third round match later in the day, which has abandoned due to further rain in the second set.
The match will resume tomorrow with Bulgarian lucky loser Tsvetana Pironkova leading the No.2 seed 7-6(6) 2-1.
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