Halep into Week 2 at Australian Open for 5th straight year

By JOHN PYE
AP Sports Writer

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is into Week 2 at Melbourne Park for the fifth consecutive year. The 14th-seeded Halep advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Danka Kovinic. It was Kovinic who eliminated U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the previous round. None of the players remaining the women’s draw has won as many tour-level titles as Halep’s 23. Halep’s next opponent will be Alize Cornet. Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka moved into the fourth round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 31 Marketa Vondrousova. Sabalenka had 10 double-faults but says that’s a big improvement and her serve is still a work in progress.