Halep eases past Diyas to reach Wimbledon quarter-finals

LONDON (Reuters) - French Open runner-up Simona Halep raced to a 6-3 6-0 fourth round win over Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas on Tuesday to become just the second Romanian woman to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. The world number three has enjoyed a year of career-best results at consecutive grand slams and wasted little time in continuing that trend at the All England Club with a dominant victory on Court Two in just 57 minutes. Halep became the first Romanian woman to reach a grand slamfinal in 34 years at Roland Garros last month, where she was beaten in three sets by Maria Sharapova. Tuesday's victory ensured she followed in the footsteps of compatriot Virginia Ruzici, who lost at the quarter-final stage in 1978 and 1981, in reaching the last eight on the grass courts of southwest London. The third seed could meet 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki in the next round, if the German 19th seed can overcome Diyas's countrywoman Yaroslava Shvedova in a fourth round encounter later on Tuesday. (Reporting by Sam Holden; Editing by John O'Brien)