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     Simona Halep battled past Victoria Azarenka in an absolute marathon on Wednesday afternoon to reach the semifinals of the US Open for the first time in her career.

After taking the first set, 6-3, Halep watched on as Azarenka, a two-time US Open finalist, shifted gears, powering through the second set, 6-4, and building an early 2-0 in the third. After Halep broke back to catch up to 2-1 and serving at 40-15, the rain started to fall and the two left the court.

But once they came back the No.2-seeded Romanian was just too solid, winning five of the next seven games to close the No.20-seeded Belarusian out after two hours and 40 minutes, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Halep finished with more than twice as many winners as unforced errors on the stats sheet: 40 to 19.

"It was an amazing match. She played fantastic," Halep said. "In the first set I was playing my best tennis, and I knew I could win the match, but I also knew she's very strong and she never gives up.

"After the first set I was a bit behind the baseline, which wasn't good, and she was dominating me on the court. I was running well, but I didn't have enough power to hit from very far off the court.

"The rain delay was perfect for me. It was unbelievable that I had another chance. So I said with my coach, 'I have to do everything I did in the first set and get this one, because it's made for me.'"

Azarenka, meanwhile, was about even - she finished with 38 winners to 42 unforced errors.

"I was trying to find solutions. But she played really well today," Azarenka said afterwards.

"I was a little bit surprised by the pace of her ball, to be honest. I think that, and a couple of free points that I gave away today, cost me the match a little bit. But I have to say she played very well."

Awaiting Halep in the semifinals will be the No.26 seed, Flavia Pennetta, who battled back to defeat No.5 seed Petra Kvitova in three sets earlier on in the day, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 (read more here).

Pennetta leads Halep in their head-to-head series, 3-1, though Halep won their only 2015 meeting.

"It looks like she's not that powerful like Vika, but she is," Pennetta said. "She's more powerful, I think. And to make a winner against her you have to finish the point seven times. She's always there.

"The ball just always comes back, and it's going to be like a marathon, I think."

**  http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/4990783/title/halep-survives-azarenka-at-us-open