Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia makes a forehand return to Simona Halep of Romania during their quarterfinal at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014.(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
January 21, 2014 - 5:51 PM
MELBOURNE, Australia - Dominika Cibulkova won the last eight games in a one-hour, 6-3, 6-0 quarterfinal rout of No. 11-seeded Simona Halep at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The diminutive Cibulkova, among the shortest women on the WTA tour at 1.61 metres (5-feet-3), pounded Halep from the back of the court to progress to her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2009 French Open. It was her second win in five major quarterfinals and served as a harsh lesson for Halep, who was appearing in her first.
"I'm not so tall, but I'm intense on the court," Cibulkova said, "and I'm powerful."
Halep only won 10 points in the second set as Cibulkova relentlessly attacked.
No. 20-seeded Cibulkova, who beat Maria Sharapova in three sets in the fourth round, will play the winner of Wednesday's later quarterfinal between two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska.
Cibulkova said her experience in the quarterfinals was the biggest factor against Halep, as "I was ready today and I knew what to expect ... I was perfect."
News from © The Associated Press, 2014