Doha: Wozniacki stays No.1, Halep out

Caroline Wozniacki has outlasted former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber 7-6(4) 1-6 6-3 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals and ensured she retained the top ranking.

The new Australian Open champion was pushed for almost two and a half hours before prevailing.

Kerber led 5-3 in the first set and Wozniacki had a set point in the 12th game before taking it in a tiebreaker.

Kerber rushed her in the second set and broke early in the third. But Wozniacki broke straight back and her superior fitness shone in some long rallies.

The Dane will meet Petra Kvitova in the semifinals after the Czech’s match against Julia Goerges ended early when the German retired with a hip injury while trailing 6-4 2-1.

Simona Halep also announced her withdrawal from the semis on Saturday due to a foot injury.

Having thrashed qualifier CiCi Bellis 6-0 6-4 in the quarters, she was next scheduled to play Garbine Muguruza, who beat Caroline Garcia of France 3-6 6-1 6-4 in the last eight.

Garbiñe Muguruza is into the Doha final and I’m not sure how much more obvious it needs to be to her that she’s a *far* more successful player when Conchita Martinez is in her corner.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) February 16, 2018

“I am surprised that I could play three matches and win them,” Halep, the 2014 champion, said. “I felt pain every day, so it was not easy to manage it.

“I didn’t have much time to recover before this tournament, but today was too much, and I decided to stop.

“The MRI shows I have fluid and also tendinitis at the fourth toe, so I have to take care of it and think about my health first.”

Halep also withdrew from next week’s Dubai Open, another tournament she has won, and the Romanian said she did not expect to be back in action for more than two weeks, until Indian Wells.

Halep relinquished the No. 1 spot after losing to Wozniacki in the Australian Open final.