Halep knocks out Bertens to reach Italian Open final

Rome, May 20: Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world no. 4, advanced to the final of the Italian Open tennis tournament after beating Dutch Kiki Bertens here on Saturday.

The Romanian player, who recently claimed the title at the Madrid Open on May 13, staged another high-level performance on Saturday to beat her Dutch opponent 7-5, 6-1 in 76 minutes, reports Efe.

In the match that opened Saturday's programme on the main court, Halep initially had to suffer to gain an advantage over a tough Bertens.

She now awaits her rival for the final, which will be the winner of the duel between Spain's Garbiñe Muguruza and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.