Simona Halep won five games in a row in the deciding set of an astonishing match against Elina Svitolina in Doha on Friday to power through to the Qatar Open final.
Seemingly down and almost out at 1-4 in the third set, world number three Halep was roared on by a large and noisy set of Romanian fans to secure a remarkable 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the Ukrainian.
Halep said her win was “unbelievable”.
“I didn’t give up, I promised myself I would never give up against her again because I lost two matches very bad,” said Halep.
It was her first win against the world number seven since 2017.
The Romanian will now play her 34th career final on Saturday against either Germany’s Angelique Kerber or Belgium’s Elise Mertens, who play in the second semi-final, also on Friday.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!