Indian Wells: Simona Halep beats Petra Martic in three sets to reach semi-finals

Simona Halep has reached the final of the Australian Open and won the Shenzhen Open in 2018

World number one Simona Halep overcame Croatia's Petra Martic in three sets to reach the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Playing in gusty winds, the Romanian beat the world number 50 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 in two hours and 23 minutes.

"I don't remember such difficult wind and to feel that tough to play a game," Halep said.

She will face Naomi Osaka next after the Japanese world number 44 stunned Karolina Pliskova 6-2 6-3.

Osaka won 92% of points on her first serve and won the final four games to beat former world number one Pliskova in one hour and 20 minutes.

The victory was Osaka's first over a top-five player in 2018 - the 20-year-old has already beaten Maria Sharapova and Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in California.

However, Osaka has not beaten Halep in three attempts, with Halep claiming a 6-3 6-2 in their last meeting at the Australian Open in January.