Ruthless Simona Halep races into Australian Open quarter-finals

Simona Halep admitted that she launched her Australian Open title bid "stressed" and tired but warned she is now in full flow after surging into the quarter-finals on Monday.

The two-time Grand Slam champion defeated 16th seed Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-4 and plays Estonian 28th seed Anett Kontaveit or unseeded Polish teenager Iga Swiatek in the last eight.

Former world number one Halep, beaten in the 2018 final by Caroline Wozniacki, has not dropped a set in four matches in Melbourne and the Romanian fourth seed looks in ominous form.

The 28-year-old will rise from third to second in the world rankings after beating Belgium's Mertens.