The two players traded crosscourt backhands throughout the tiebreak, but it was Halep who proved able to crack her opponent and force a decider with a mix of passing shots and lobs that kept Andreescu off balance.

Although it was Andreescu who broke first in the decider, Halep answered immediately with a break of her own and it was clear that she had found the form that had alluded her early in the match. She went a break up at 5-3 and went on to serve out the set with a hold to love that delighted the very pro-Halep crowd on court at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.

Halep called Andreescu a tough opponent in the on-court interview after the encounter.

"It was a very tough match. I knew that she's a very great player and that she's in it until the end," Halep admitted.

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