Paris: Simona Halep said Friday she was confident of making the French Open despite suffering torn ankle ligaments in last week’s Italian Open final.
Halep, the 2014 runner-up at Roland Garros, earlier this week rated her chances of being fit for Paris as “50-50”.
But after practice, the 25-year-old Romanian said she will play.
“I expect to play, I should be OK but I am waiting for another ultra-sound on Saturday, she said.
Halep, who faces Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova in the first round, is considered one of the favourites for the title.
She won the Madrid Open this season before reaching the final in Rome where she suffered the injury in her loss to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in Rome.
Meanwhile, Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori saved three match points to defeat South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) on Thursday to reach the Geneva Open semi-finals.
Nishikori took his head-to-head record against Anderson to 4-1 and reached his first semi-final on clay this season as he builds towards the French Open which starts in Paris on Sunday.
“There haven’t been too many times that I’m down match point and win, so it’s great for me,” said Nishikori.
“He had more chances, but I served a little bit better in the end. It’s important to win some matches like this.”
Nishikori next plays German qualifier Mischa Zverev who defeated US fifth seed Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-5.
Top seed Stan Wawrinka was down a set and an early break to a Sam Querrey before fighting back for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
The Swiss will next face Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov who saw off German lucky loser Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.
