Simona Halep and Sabine Lisicki provided the US Open with some uncomfortable viewing as they struggled through injury, heat and cramps before Halep squeezed through in three sets in the fourth round.
In an absolute slugfest that saw a combined 17 breaks of serve, Halep, the No2 seed, needed the trainer more than once to attend to a left thigh injury while Lisicki suffered from cramps en route to a 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-2 defeat to the Romanian.
The 24th-seeded Lisicki, a former runner-up at Wimbledon, committed a shocking 72 unforced errors in a match that saw the heat rule come into effect, giving both players a 10-minute break before the final set.
– US Open: Williams sisters set up quarter-final tie
– US Open: Azarenka finds her inner warrior in win
Halep finally got her hands on match points with a huge backhand down the line winner and advanced to her first ever quarter-final at the US Open where she faces ex-world No1 Victoria Azarenka.
“It’s unbelievable to reach my first quarter-final at the US Open. It was a crazy match,” admitted Halep.
“I’m pretty tired but I would have been very unhappy with myself had I lost.”
Halep, 23, is the first Romanian in the last eight in New York since Irina Spirlea went to the 1997 semi-finals