Two-time major winners Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza will play for a spot in the Australian Open women’s final after winning their quarterfinal matches in straight sets Wednesday. Each has won Wimbledon and the French Open, and each is bidding for a first Grand Slam tournament title on a hard court. Halep has been close, losing to Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in the final at Melbourne Park in 2018. There are three major winners in the last four, with reigning French Open champion Ashleigh Barty playing No. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain was scheduled to play a men’s quarterfinal match against fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria on Wednesday night.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 29, 2020 06:56 UTC