Thank you for joining me for this match here on VAVEL. I hope you enjoyed the play-by-play insight. This is Brooks Giardina, signing off. Bye for now!
Final Thoughts: The Romanian ultimately won off of her consistency and her opponent's multiple errors. Halep looked strong on serve and return en route to her third Grand Slam fourth round in her last four majors. Bertens lacked rhythm for the majority of the match. On the other hand, the Romanian held form from the first to last point. It was a solid, impressive performance in Centre Court by the fifth seed.
Halep will face either Madison Keys or Alize Cornet in the fourth round.
Game, set, and match Halep! Two sets to love, 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and eight minutes.
AD-40: Aggressive second serve!
40-40: Bertens nets a forehand return.
30-40: Heavy hitting from Bertens!
30-30: Halep fights back in this game! The Bertens errors continue...
15-30: The Dutchwoman slices a backhand deep.
0-30: What a point! Bertens fires a forehand winner after a hard-hitting point.
0-15: Halep shoots a forehand long.
Bertens stays alive in this third round matchup. Halep will serve for the match at 5-3...
40-15: Halep misses just wide.
30-15: Halep misfires on the return.
15-15: More Bertens errors...
15-0: The fifth seed nets a return.
The Romanian is one game away from the fourth round! She currently leads 5-2 in the second set.
40-0: Halep's intensity rises! Three game points...
30-0: Halep victors in a long point.
15-0: Bertens nets a backhand.
Bertens holds after limiting her errors. All the pressure is on Halep to close the match out. 4-2 Halep
40-15: Wow. Bertens moves the fifth seed all over the court.
30-15: Beautiful passing shot off the Romanian's racquet.
30-0: A Halep backhand sails wide.
15-0: Big serve by the Dutchwoman.
Halep closes in on the finish line. She is two games away after increasing her lead to 4-1.
40-30: The 26th seed nets a second-serve return.
30-30: Wow! Brilliant drop shot.
30-15: Bertens wins her first return point this set.
30-0: The Dutchwoman fails to keep the ball in the court.
15-0: Another Bertens error...
Clutch serve from Bertens to keep her hopes alive. She trails as Halep holds a 3-1 edge.
AD-40: Halep fails to take advantage of a second serve.
40-40: Halep misses a return long.
30-40: The 26th seed shoots a backhand long.
30-30: The ace is followed by a double fault...
30-15: Ace!
15-15: Halep misses a routine backhand pass.
0-15: Bertens nets a backhand.
Halep is cruising as she has won 12 of the 13 points played in this second set. The Bertens errors have brought the score to 3-0 in the fifth seed's favor.
40-0: Bertens lacks any signs of rhythym.
30-0: The 26th seed fails to execute a drop shot.
15-0: Bertens misses a return.
The fifth seed is rolling! A well-placed backhand sees her clinch the break for a 2-0 lead.
15-40: Bertens smiles at her multiple errors.
15-30: Bertens slides a backhand wide.
15-15: The 26th seed continues to miss off of both groundstroke wings.
15-0: Bertens fires a powerful serve!
Halep wraps up her third consecutive game as she has won the last 10 points. 1-0 Halep
40-0: Yet another Dutchwoman error results in her ninth straight point lost.
30-0: Big serve from the fifth seed!
15-0: Bertens' forehand is causing her trouble.
The sun is out! Play on the outside courts will resume shortly.
What an angle by Halep! She seals the opening set, 6-4.
15-40: Huge first serve!
0-40: The fifth seed finds her rhythm to arrive at three set points.
0-30: Bertens misses a forehand just deep.
0-15: Beautiful winner by Halep!
Halep is within a break of clinching the opening set as she leads 5-4.
40-30: Halep shoots a running forehand into the net.
40-15: Bertens hits a backhand into the bottom of the net.
30-15: Another forehand error from the 26th seed...
15-15: Halep's backhand error is forced by brilliant ball-striking.
15-0: Wow! The Dutchwoman fires a forehand way wide.
A lucky winner from Bertens levels the set to 4-4.
40-30: Halep forces a Bertens error.
40-15: First double fault today...
40-0: The fifth seed misses a forehand wide by a large margin.
30-0: Halep nets a mid-court forehand.
15-0: The Romanian's forehand inches long.
Bertens is able to break right back. 4-3 Halep
15-40: Halep sails a groundstroke long.
15-30: Halep misses a backhand into the net.
15-15: Bertens misses a routine forehand swinging volley.
0-15: Halep strikes a volley wide.
Four straight Bertens errors seal the break for Halep. The Romanian leads 4-2.
15-40: Bertens lacks answers for her struggling forehand.
15-30: Bertens strikes a backhand long.
15-15: Yet another forehand into the net from Bertens.
15-0: A strong Dutch volley forces the Halep error.
Halep holds to lead for the second time this set. 3-2 Halep
40-30: Superb angle from the top-ranked Romanian!
30-30: Bertens shoots a backhand wide.
15-30: A Romanian forehand inches wide.
15-15: Halep finds the net with a forehand.
15-0: Bertens fails to return a Halep forehand.
Bertens needs five game points to level the first set at 2-2.
AD-40: The down-the-line shots from the Dutchwoman are working effectively.
40-40: Bertens' errors continue...
AD-40: Bertens powers her way to yet another advantage point.
40-40: Brilliant touch on the run from the fifth seed!
AD-40: Halep shoots a forehand astray.
40-40: A Bertens defensive backhand inches long.
40-30: The 26th seed nets a forehand.
40-15: Bertens finds the corner for another forehand winner.
30-15: The forehand of Bertens continues to trail out.
30-0: Huge serve from the Dutchwoman!
15-0: Bertens fires a forehand winner.
The fifth seed is the first to hold in today's match. She leads 2-1.
40-15: A Halep forehand lands just out.
40-0: Halep strikes a forehand winner.
30-0: Bertens continues to struggle off her forehand wing.
15-0: The Dutchwoman nets a mid-court forehand.
The Romanian breaks immediately back after taking three consecutive points. 1-1
30-40: Bertens fires a backhand into the alley.
30-30: Halep utilizes her speed to steal a long point.
30-15: The fifth seed continues to hit the ball into the net.
15-15: Bertens fails to execute a backhand slice.
15-0: Halep nets a second-serve return.
A huge return from the Dutchwoman gives her a break to start the match. 1-0 Bertens
30-40: Halep places a volley into the open court for a winner.
15-40: A Bertens forehand finds the net.
0-40: The Romanian misses a forehand just deep.
0-30: Halep slides a backhand wide.
0-15: Bertens passes her opponent with a brilliant running forehand.
Halep to serve to begin this third round encounter.
Halep and Bertens walk into Centre Court and the fans give them a warm welcome!
All play on the outside courts is suspended until 1:30 pm local time. Luckily, Halep-Bertens will be played in Centre Court with the roof closed.
Bertens is deemed the underdog in this encounter, but her power and recent form prove that she can potentially knock out the 2014 semifinalist. The Dutchwoman possesses all the tools to make noise on the grass as she can strike forehands, backhands, serves, and volleys with authority. The difference between her reaching the fourth round or not will be decided by her movement and consistency considering Halep will keep the ball out of the center of the court at all costs.
If Halep sees herself reaching the second week in London, she must keep her opponent in a defensive position, considering Bertens relies on her powerful offense to get her through matches. The Romanian’s steady groundstrokes have always been her bread and butter. She should look to keep the ball deep in the corners before finding the right ball to approach the net as she will lessen the possibility of being ousted from the baseline. Lastly, her ability to hold serve will be an important factor in the outcome of the match, especially since her Dutch counterpart will not hesitate to fire nonreturnable serves of her own en route to several routine holds.
The 26th seed began her Wimbledon run against a feisty teen in Jelena Ostapenko. Bertens overcame her challenging first round opponent in routine fashion, 6-3, 6-2. The first round win was the top-ranked Dutchwoman’s first main draw win at the All England Club in four years. She then took on Mona Barthel of Germany in the round of 64. Barthel was not able to pull off the upset as Bertens advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Bertens’ first half of this year has been one to remember. She started the year ranked outside of the top 100 and had to qualify for WTA International level events. However, now the Dutchwoman is seeded in the main draw of a Grand Slam and holds wins over a handful of the world’s top players. Her hard-court season was rather average despite shining through during Fed Cup competition. A semifinal in Rabat and seven-straight wins in Nurnberg ultimately set the tone for how her Roland Garros would play out. The 24-year-old tallied five wins in Paris but fell short in the semifinals against Serena Williams. Bertens rose to her career-high ranking after her run on the Parisian dirt. She was set to shift her momentum onto the grass, but a calf injury caused her to miss out on extra grass-court preparations.
Halep was asked about her upcoming match against Bertens. She told the press, “It will be a tough one. I know her. She's in good form now. She played semis I think in French Open. It's different here. It's grass. I played against her many years ago, so I don't know pretty I don't know her very well. But it's gonna be a tough one. It's gonna be a good challenge for me. And why not? I have to believe that I can win it.”
The Romanian is the fifth seed at Wimbledon this year. Halep began her campaign for the Venus Rosewater Dish against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova who has had a disastrous season this year. She stole the opening set from the Slovak six games to four before going on to cruise into the second round after a 6-4, 6-1 win over the world number 40. The fifth seed then took on Francesca Schiavone on the Number 2 Court for a spot in round three. Halep made easy work of the Italian veteran, 6-1, 6-1, to book herself a match with the Dutch number one. She safely made her way into her second ever third round at Wimbledon with the other occasion dating back to 2014 en route to her run to the semifinals.
Halep has had an up-and-down year, but it was highlighted by her performances in Madrid and Paris. The Romanian opened up her season with an unsuccessful hard-court swing, which included a first-round loss in Melbourne. She failed to defend her points in Indian Wells and Miami but went on to lift her first title of the year at the Mutua Madrid Open. The Romanian headed to Roland Garros with confidence that she could better her result from the previous year. Halep made a run to the second week but fell short in the fourth round to Samantha Stosur. However, she has not had much of a grass-court season due to an injured left Achilles that caused her to miss out on WTA action in Birmingham.
Simona Halep and Kiki Bertens will contest in their third career meeting on Saturday. Their head-to-head series is level at one win apiece with their two matches dating back to 2010 and 2012. Halep past the Dutchwoman in Belgium in 2010 before Bertens ousted her on the clay courts of Morocco two years later. Their third career matchup will be their first contest on the slick, green grass, and not to mention they will be playing for the first time in six years.
Hello, and welcome to live coverage of the third round clash between Simona Halep and Kiki Bertens at the 2016 Championships, Wimbledon. My name is Brooks Giardina and I am pleased to be bringing you point-by-point updates and taking you through this enticing clash her on VAVEL- -one of the fastest-growing newspapers in the world. From now until the match, which is scheduled to be played at 5 AM PST or 8 AM EST, news, updates, and match notes will be posted to keep you up to speed.
