Top seed Simona Halep needed four match points to defeat Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA Dubai Championships. Halep, who also saved a match point herself, next plays Belarusian seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Belgian doubles partner Elise Mertens. str/dj/jc