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Simona Halep vs Angelique Kerber: Australian Open tennis women's semi-final live scores, blog

24th January, 2018
Start time: Around 4pm (AEDT)
Court: Rod Laver Arena
TV: Live, Seven
Online: Live, 7Tennis app
Betting: Kerber $1.72, Halep $2.10
Overall record: Played 8, Halep 4, Kerber 4
Last meeting: 2016 WTA Finals - Kerber defeat Halep 6-4, 6-2

Simona Halep last 10 matches: won 10, lost 0
Angelique Kerber last 10 matches: won 10, lost 0
Angeligue Kerber takes on Madison Keys at the Open. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Expert
24th January, 2018
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1456 Reads

It’ll be a battle of two players at the absolute top of their game when Simona Halep and Angeliqe Kerber square off for a spot in the Australian Open final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from around 4pm (AEDT).

Women’s draws at grand slams in recent years have been unpredictable with seeds regularly getting bundled out.

This time though, the most unpredictable thing about the second semi-final is the return to form for German Angelique Kerber.

Kerber suffered a terrible 2017. After the dizzying heights of being the best player in the world at the end of 2016, she went from failure to failure last year, falling all the way down to outside the top 20 in the world rankings.

It meant Kerber didn’t have a top-16 seed for the Open, but overcoming some very talented opposition hasn’t harmed her – in fact, it’s done quite the opposite and she will be well prepared for this contest.

While she has had five wins, the third-round beatdown of Maria Sharapova and quarter-final thumping of Madison Keys are the two which stand out.

It’s clear Kerber has her defensive mojo back. She defended like her life depended on it against two of the more powerful players on tour, beating Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 and Keys 6-1, 6-2 in a quarter-final which never got off the ground.

The defence of Kerber will need to be on full display against Halep, who will also play a similarly baseline-oriented game at times, fighting to stay in points.

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She has an extra level of attacking instinct though and that was on full display for the world No.1 as she blasted past Karolina Pliskova in straight sets yesterday.

Halep has been battling an ankle injury right throughout the tournament which she picked up during the first round, but it hasn’t seemed to impede her play all that match.

Beating the world No.6 in straight sets was a mighty effort, but then, so was getting rid of Naomi Osaka in straight sets and staying on court for four hours against American Lauren Davis with the final score eventually reading 15-13 in the fifth set.

If Halep is over her ankle injury, she will be out to not only prove why she tops the rankings, but to improve the overall ledger between the pair, which currently sits at four apiece.

Prediction
Kerber is back with a bang. The former world No.1 should get the better of the current world No.1 in a hard-fought tussle.

Kerber in three sets.

Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the second women’s semi-final from around 4pm (AEDT) or at the conclusion of the other semi-final and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

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