Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova reach semis at Shenzhen Open

Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova are both into the semifinals at the 2018 Shenzhen Open. If both win, they will face one another in the finals.

Simona Halep has the chance to kick off her 2018 WTA Tour with a title.

The world No. 1 in women’s singles tennis is into the semifinals at the Shenzhen Open this week. She faces fellow Romanian and fourth seed Irina-Camelia Begu for the opportunity to reach the finals in Shenzhen.

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If Halep can reach the finals this week, she may encounter Russian superstar Maria Sharapova. The Russian is into the semifinals and faces sixth seeded Katerina Siniakova. Both semifinals matches take place tomorrow at the Shenzhen Open.

Simona Halep is a former champion at the WTA Tour event.

The world No. 1 last faced Sharapova toward the end of the 2017 WTA Tour. It was Halep’s first ever WTA singles victory over the Russia tennis star. She took their meeting in Beijing, winning 6-2 6-2.

Sharapova has a career record of 7-1 against the current world No. 1. The majority of their matches, however, came during or prior to the 2015 WTA Tour. Sharapova is continuing her return to the sport after serving a fifteen month suspension. Bouncing back last year, the Russian is seeing success at the start of 2018. Halep, however, is coming off of a fantastic 2017 WTA Tour. Her year-end world No. 1 ranking has been hard fought and she looks to maintain her place atop women’s singles tennis in the early week of the season.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

With the 2018 Australian Open right around the corner, Simona Halep and others are looking for any and all momentum they can get. Halep is a two-time quarterfinalist at Melbourne Park. While she remains in search of her first ever Grand Slam singles title on the WTA Tour, 2018 could very well be her year. In 2017, the Romanian tennis star reached the finals at the French Open. She is poised to taste glory at a major tournament sometime soon. Stay tuned to see how Halep and others fare throughout the rest of their time at the 2018 Shenzhen Open. Check back for updates on all of the action in women’s singles tennis this week.