Tennis: Halep thrashes Stosur to reach Madrid final

Halep serves the ball to Australian Samantha Stosur. PHOTO: EPA

MADRID (AFP) - World number seven Simona Halep reached her first final of the season in comprehensive fashion with a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of Australian Sam Stosur at the Madrid Open on Friday.

Halep will face Dominika Cibulkova in Saturday's final after the Slovakian celebrated her 27th birthday in style with a 6-1, 6-1 demolition of American qualifier Louisa Chirico.

Former US Open champion Stosur managed just 13 points in the final 10 games having led the first set 2-1 as Halep showed the type of form which saw her reach number two in the world last year.

Cibulkova made the most of Chirico's inexperience on her first WTA semi-final as she dominated the world number 130 throughout to seal victory after just an hour on court.

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