Despite her evident frustration, smashing her racquet to the floor during the second set, Halep fought back after this to win successive games and close down the match in an hour and 38 minutes. Was not easy”, said Halep, who commented also on the final won: “It was not my best tennis because I couldn’t play my best tennis.
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A roar went up and the flags were waving as Halep defeated Keys 7-6 (2), 6-3 to claim the title in Canada on her second try, one year after heat stroke forced her to retire from the 2015 Rogers Cup final.
Simona Halep shows all intent of letting Angelique Kerber stop her in the Romanian’s bid to reach her third final of the year.
In truth, the first set was low on quality and there were eight breaks of serve, while Keys – playing in the biggest final of her career – recorded 27 unforced errors and Halep just one victor.
Keys then held tough to stay in, breaking her more-experienced opponent’s serve to level the set at six games apiece and force a tiebreak.
Halep is on a nine-match winning run, having won her home tournament in Bucharest two weeks ago. Halep won the first three, all on hard courts like the one at Uniprix Stadium.
“I knew that it’s going to be tough because I don’t get rhythm from her”, Halep said.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori beat Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Friday to advance to the Rogers Cup semifinals.
This is a first Coupe Rogers final for the American, who knows that a win on Sunday could move her up to as high as world number seven as she looks to continue a stunning run of form that has seen her win 21 of 24 matches since the early part of May.
“Her first serve was definitely slower than normal”, Keys said.
Halep and compatriot Monica Niculescu beat the second seeds, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic of France, to reach the doubles semifinals.
Kerber is left-handed, and Halep swings with the right. Kerber was able to go ahead on the returns over Halep in the set, breaking two times in three break point opportunities. They will face Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, 6-4, 6-2 winners over Americans Christina McHale and Asia Muhammad.
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Halep, who began the year at No. 2, rises to No. 3 on the WTA rankings.
