Wimbledon 2019: Simona Halep labours to second-round win against spirited Mihaela Buzarnescu

Former world No 1 Simona Halep progressed to the third round of the Wimbledon Championships after overcoming a spirited Mihaela Buzarnescu in three sets.

Having picked up an ankle issue in her first-round win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Halep looked off her best as she laboured to a 6-3 4-6 6-2 victory in one hour and 51 minutes.

This was the second encounter between the two Romanians, with a 16-year-old Halep comfortably claiming victory when they first met in Italy in 2008.

This was an altogether different affair, though, with an animated and resilient Buzarnescu taking the game to her younger rival.

Although Halep’s consistency eventually saw her to victory – she made 16 unforced errors compared to her opponent’s 38 – it was Buzarnescu who caught the eye.

Thumping cross-court winners; stinging forehand shots down the line; and a never-say-die attitude that endeared her to those who had turned out to watch the spectacle on Court Two – Buzarnescu delivered a show on her way to defeat.

It was a result that also raises questions of Halep’s credentials at Wimbledon. The Romanian has struggled for form on the grass courts of the All England Club, having made it as far as the last four in 2014 where she lost to Genie Bouchard.

On the back of this display, and with others performing to far greater and more clinical levels, the 2018 French Open champion has much work to do if she’s to venture into the latter stages of this year’s Championships.

In the opening set, both players struggled to hold service as they repeatedly exchanged breaks. It was Buzarnescu, though, who proved the more inconsistent, making serve just once.

Her attempts to intimidate Halep from the forecourt were equally found wanting, but also brought out the best of the former world No 1.

In the seventh game, with Buzarnescu at the net, Halep fizzed a whipped forehand past Buzarnescu and into the space behind. It was a similar story moments later, as the younger Romanian broke her rival with a backhand winner down the line after Buzarnescu had drifted towards the centre of her court.

At 4-3, Halep’s composure crystallised as she went on win the next two games to take the set.

The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with both women exchanging back-to-back breaks that eventually took proceedings to 4-4.

Halep saw her serve broken once again in the next game – a netted backhand into the tape proving the difference after initially saving break point – with Buzarnescu then securing a rare hold to take the match to a deciding set.

Halep quickly rushed to 3-0 but was again unable to stamp her authority on the match as the battling Buzarnescu broke back. By this stage the rallies between the two Romanians had intensified and were growing in length to the delight of the crowd.

But it was Halep who eventually pulled away, securing the match point with a reaching forehand winner that zipped beyond Buzarnescu. A final, fitting break to seal the deal.