Anisimova caused a huge upset last year when she comfortably beat Romanian Halep, then the defending champion, in the quarter-finals.

But the number 29 seed could not reproduce that form this time around as she received a 54-minute claycourt lesson.

Halep was in typically miserly mood on Court Philippe Chatrier, making only seven unforced errors and waiting for the 19-year-old Anisimova to make mistakes, of which she made 32.

It took her only 23 minutes to win the opening set in which she made every single service return.

Anisimova, who had dropped only four games in her first two matches, briefly threatened a revival at the start of the second set but Halep raced away to victory.

“I learned so many things from last year,” Halep told Eurosport. “So, I just wanted to show myself that I was able to win against her. Really happy the way I played.

“Even if the ball was really heavy, I played very aggressive. I think last year I stood too far back on the return, but today (Friday) I did well and the I think the plan was great for today.”

Halep, who decided against travelling to the U.S. Open so that she could train on clay, will face another rising star in the next round.

That is when she plays Poland’s Iga Swiatek in a repeat of their fourth-round clash last year in which Halep dropped only one game.(Reuters/NAN)