Tennis: Simona Halep beats Venus Williams in straight sets at Miami Open

Simona Halep sealed a quarter-final place at the Miami Open, beating three-time former champion Venus Williams 6-3, 6-3. Broken in her first two service games, Williams pulled one break back to trail 3-1, but Halep tamed the American's serve again in the ninth game to win the first set. Only one break followed in the second - Halep moving ahead 3-1 on the way to victory. Halep lost her first three career meetings with Williams, but the Romanian has came out on top in the four encounters since then, all of them won in straight sets. The world number three, who is aiming to reach the Miami Open final for the first time, will meet the winner of an all-Chinese match between Wang Qiang and Wang Yafan in the last eight. Halep is also seeking a return to the top of the world rankings - a move made possible by Naomi Osaka's early exit in Miami.