ROME, Sept 19 ― Top seed Simona Halep took the first semi-final berth at the Italian Open on Saturday when Kazakh rival Yulia Putintseva retired during their match today.

The world number two was leading 6-2, 2-0 when US Open quarter-finalist Putintseva signalled that she was retiring after 45 minutes of play.

Two-time Rome runner-up Halep next meets either Belarussian Victoria Arazenka or Spaniard Garbine Muguruza for a place in the final of the clay-court tournament.

Matches from tomorrow’s semi-finals will be played in front of 1,000 spectators with the action up to now in front of empty stands at the Foro Italico. ― AFP