Melbourne — World No1 Simona Halep had to come from 5-2 and a set point down against Australian teenager Destanee Aiava to win a first-round match at the Australian Open on Tuesday. Both the Romanian and her 17-year-old wildcard opponent needed on-court medical attention before top seed Halep ran out a battling 7-6 (7/5) 6-1 winner in an hour and 51 minutes. The top seed had fallen at the first hurdle in the past two years at Melbourne Park and another shock was beckoning when the big-hitting Australian took a 5-2 lead in the first set buoyed by rowdy home supporters. "I was actually stressed a little bit because two years in a row I lost in the first round, so I didn’t want to do the third one," said Halep. "Aiava is going to be good in the future. But I’m really happy that I could win the first round. It was really important." But the fearless teenager’s charge to the first set in her first appearance on Rod Laver Arena came to a dramatic halt as she called for a medical timeout a...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.