Halep remains intractable and Osaka and Svitolina come back

Simona Halep continues with her great start to the season. The Romanian, first favorite for the title at the Gippsland Torphy, asserted this condition to seal her place in the quarter-finals after defeating the German Laura Siegemund. Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina are also in rooms. The Japanese and the Ukrainian, two of the favorites for the title, sealed their passage to this round although with more difficulties than expected.

Halep gave Siegemund no options, whom he defeated 6-2, 6-4 after one hour and 33 minutes of the game. The Romanian was very solid with her serve (75% of points won with her first) and also the rest, winning almost 70% of the points to the second rest against Siegemund's serves, which also allowed her to convert four of the 10 break balls he had. In the quarterfinals Halep will face the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, who surprised the reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-2.

Osaka, second favorite, had to return to the British Katie Boulter, that came from winning the American Coco Gauff. Boulter took the first set 6-3, which made Osaka have to get his best tennis to take the next two sets 6-3 and 6-1. Osaka will now meet in the quarterfinals with the Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, who gave another one of the surprises of the day after winning the British Johanna Konta in three sets 4-6, 7-6 (10) and 7-6 (4) .

The Ukrainian is also in the quarterfinals Elina Svitolina, third favorite for the title, who had to come back against the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko to win 6-7 (4), 6-3 and 6-2. Ostapenko managed to take the tie-break in the first heat but that did not make Svitolina lower her arms and pull her claw to go to the quarterfinals. Now the Ukrainian will be measured for a place in the semifinals against the Belgian Elise Mertens, who beat the French Caroline Garcia (7-6 (1) and 6-3).

Gippsland Trophy results and table