After successive first-round exits, top-seeded Simona Halep is going deep into the draw at this year's Australian Open, advancing to the quarterfinals by beating Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-2.
Halep, who could lose her No. 1 ranking if she doesn't win the title here, extended her record of not having lost a fourth-round match on hard courts at a Grand Slam since the 2013 U.S. Open — she's 10-2 in round-of-16 matches.
She had considerably less trouble beating Osaka than her third-round match, when she needed 3 hours, 45 minutes and saved triple match point to beat Lauren Davies.
(More to follow)
