Simona Halep finally beats Maria Sharapova with crushing win

ByBen Snowball

Updated 04/10/2017 at 17:34 GMT

Simona Halep avenged her first-round defeat at the US Open with victory over Maria Sharapova at the China Open – her first ever win against the Russian.

Simona Halep

Image credit: Getty Images

The Romanian was a convincing 6-2 6-2 winner in 72 minutes as she moved into the quarter-finals.

Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska was beaten in three sets by Russian Daria Kasatkina.

It was Sharapova’s first straight sets defeat of 2017 as she racked up 39 unforced errors.

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Halep, who broke her rival five times, will face Kasatkina in the last eight.

"It was a great match, I think I played my best tennis against her," she said.

"I served pretty well, and the work that I did after the US Open, I could see it on court today. I'm really happy that I could do this. It's my first victory against her and I just want to enjoy the moment.

"Today, I said it's just another match, I just wanted to give everything I have, stay focused, calm and positive."

The pair’s head-to-head now reads 7-1 to Sharapova, who edged a thrilling contest under the lights at Flushing Meadows in August.

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"I think she played an incredible match, probably the best she's played against me in all of our previous meetings," Sharapova added.

"I wasn't as sharp. I wasn't seeing the ball as well. I wasn't moving up and down as well as I have been against her.

"She was hitting the ball consistently, not making a lot of unforced errors, her service percentage was quite high. She did all the right things."

Sharapova is ranked 104th in the world as she continues her comeback from a 15-month drugs ban.

French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko reached the third round with a 6-3 7-5 win over Samantha Stosur to creep closer to a spot at the WTA Finals in Singapore.

The Latvian was joined by Caroline Garcia, a 7-6(4) 6-4 winner over Elise Mertens, and Peng Shuai, who beat Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-2.

Later, world number three Elina Svitolina also progressed with a 6-4 6-2 win over Ashleigh Barty.