Simona Halep fires Australian Open warning with Shenzhen title

Courtesy: AFP

World number one Simona Halep fired a warning to her Australian Open rivals on Saturday, beating Katerina Siniakova in three sets to win the Shenzhen Open.

The Romanian saw off the reigning champion from the Czech Republic 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in 72 rollercoaster minutes in southern China.

The 26-year-old Halep is guaranteed top seeding for the Australian Open, the season`s first Grand Slam, which begins in Melbourne on January 15.