Spanish qualifier Estrella Cabeza Candela has ousted tricky Romanian Monica Niculescu in a marathon quarter-final match today.
Cabeza Candela won 3-6 7-6(3) 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 40 minutes.
Niculescu was on top early in the match, breaking in the third game and streaking ahead to a 5-3 lead. Her slice and mixture of shots was frustrating Cabeza Candela, making it hard for her to find her rhythm with her game.
The world no.60 took the first set by breaking for a second time, wrapping it up 6-3.
Breaks were traded early in the second set, with neither player able to gain any ascendancy. It went to a tiebreaker, which the Spanish qualifier was able to take, winning seven points to three.
With the match having already ticked over the two hour mark, it was Niculescu who got an early break in the third. She edged ahead 4-2, but Cabeza Candela had other plans. The world no. 114 reeled off four straight games to win the set and book a semi-final place.
“I had little chances to win the match, so I tried to take the moments I got. It was a hard match,” Cabeza Candela said.
Cabeza Candela gave credit to her opponent, claiming Niculescu’s consistency and slice forehand to be difficult to cope with.
“I tried to fight,” she said. “I tried to be aggressive and get to the net. Her forehand was so hard for me to play.”
For Cabeza Candela, the win justified the tough decision she had made to continue in the Hobart International and miss competing in the Australian Open qualifying competition, which started in Melbourne today. She would have been one of the top-ranked players in the draw and aiming for her main draw debut in the grand slam tournament.
“I made the decision to play here and do my best. I win today, so I’m happy,” she said.
Cabeza Candela will now play either second seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium or fellow Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza in the semi-final tomorrow.
It will be just her second WTA level semi-final, matching her career-best result with a semi-final showing on clay in Palmero last year.