Budapest, Hungary – Surging Simona Halep was among Friday's quarterfinal winners at the $235,000 Hungarian Grand Prix tennis event.
The third-seeded Romanian won for the 14th time in 15 matches by handling Hungarian favorite Timea Babos 7-5, 6-1 on the red clay at Romai Tennis Academy.
The 21-year-old Halep captured her first-ever WTA titles in Nuremberg, Germany, and Den Bosch, Netherlands, in back-to-back weeks last month.
Her semifinal opponent on Saturday will be fellow Romanian Alexandra Cadantu, who beat Israeli veteran Shahar Peer 6-0, 7-5 on Day 5.
The other semi will pit sixth-seeded South African Chanelle Scheepers against Austrian Yvonne Meusburger, who upended fourth-seeded German Annika Beck 6-4, 6-1 on Friday. Scheepers advanced by besting Montenegro's Danka Kovinic 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5).
The 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix champion will earn $40,000.
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