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Another deep Australian Open run beckons for 2018 finalist Simona Halep as contenders Karolina Pliskova and Belinda Bencic bit the dust at Melbourne Park.
Simona Halep is refusing to look ahead after charging into the second week of the Australian Open as fellow top seeds tumbled out.
The former Open finalist and reigning Wimbledon champion took just over an hour to down unseeded Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-1 6-4 in Saturday's third-round encounter on Rod Laver Arena.
With world No.2 Karolina Pliskova falling to Russian underdog Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Halep is the highest seed left on her side of the women's draw.
But the Romanian fourth seed is paying no mind to the shock third-round exit of Pliskova, nor highly-touted contenders Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams and Belinda Bencic.
"I'm not focusing on other players," Halep said.
"I'm just focusing on myself. I know that this level, it is really tough every match, so we have to be 100 per cent focused for what we have to do on court.
"(It) doesn't matter who is winning, who is losing. I have just to do my job when I step on the court.
"It's really tough to get match by match and to win seven matches, but I know it's possible.
"So makes me feel a little bit more confident.'
Runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki in 2018, Halep was pleased to return the fourth round at Melbourne Park for a third straight year and insists the Wimbledon crown isn't weighing heavily on her expectations.
"It's been a great year last year winning Wimbledon, but here it is a different tennis," the two-time major champion said.
"So I'm ready. I was ready when I came here, so I'm just enjoying every match I play.
"I give everything I have to win and actually I'm really, really happy that I'm in the second week now."
The gritty baseliner fell at the last-16 hurdle last year, losing a tight three-setter to Williams.
She has a touch easier assignment on this occasion, facing Elise Mertens on Monday after Belgium's 16th seed and 2018 Open semi-finalist beat American CiCi Bellis 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-0.
