Kerber sets up Eastbourne clash with Halep

Posted June 26, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

EASTBOURNE, England (AP) - Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber will meet Simona Halep in the quarterfinals at Eastbourne after they won their third-round matches Wednesday.

Seeded fourth, Kerber beat Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 7-6 (4), 6-0 and now has a 5-1 record on grass this season ahead of next week's Wimbledon. The 31-year-old German reached the Eastbourne final in 2012 and 2014, losing both times.

Halep came through a tough third-round match against Polona Hercog 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. The Romanian player faced three break points and lost them all, but managed to break Hercog six times.

Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova hit 24 winners in a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Elise Mertens. That set up a quarterfinal against Ekaterina Alexandrova, who progressed when her opponent Jelena Ostapenko retired with a hip injury at 3-6, 1-2 down.

Britain's Johanna Konta lost 6-3, 6-2 to Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who will face Alize Cornet in the last eight.

In the men's draw, top-seeded Guido Pella lost to Taylor Fritz 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, while second-seeded Laslo Djere was defeated 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) by qualifier Thomas Fabbiano. Sam Querrey beat fourth-seeded Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 6-3.

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More AP Tennis: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Johanna Konta sits under an umbrella before the Women's Singles match during day four of the Nature Valley International at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne, England, Wednesday June 26, 2019. While much of Europe is basking in sunshine and high temperatures, many in England are sheltering under umbrellas. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP) The Associated Press

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