Halep opted not to go to Rio de Janeiro, so she plans to relax and celebrate for a few days and then prepare for her next WTA event in Cincinnati.
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The 2016 Bucharest Open champion Simona Halep draws first blood against the 2016 Aegon Classic champion to start off the ATP 1000 Canadian Masters event, as Keys and Halep split the first four games to tie at 2-2. The former French Open finalist rebounded well, however, keeping the topsy-turvy nature of the set going with another break of Keys’ serve to go up 5-4 and give herself the chance to serve for the opening set. Keys responds with two straight wins games of her own to once again even the set with the Romanian. After an impressive win over Venus Williams, Keys responded by defeating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova by a score of.
Romania’s Simona Halep celebrates her win over Madison Keys, of the United States, during the fi … Kerber won the next two, both this year, but one was on a clay court in Federation Cup play and the other was on grass in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. Not surprisingly Kerber’s coach Torben Beltz came down at the end of the first set, and whatever he said worked, as she rediscovered some much needed form to produce some great shot-making on her way to levelling the match.
World number five Halep was forced to retire injured in the deciding set of last year’s final against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, but made amends against an out-of-sorts Keys, who made 45 unforced errors, to win her 14th WTA Tour title in one hour and 15 minutes. Reaching the finals here lifted her from No. 12 to No. 9.
“She hits the ball very strong”, Halep said of Keys. “It’s an incredible tournament”. As anyone knows, I can not hit stronger than her because she’s very strong and it’s impossible for my height and for my body.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber has beaten Daria Kasatkina to reach the Rogers Cup semi-finals.
“I like being here in Montreal at lot”, said fifth-seeded Halep, whose world ranking will rise to third with the win.
She gave up another break point on a double fault to fall behind 2-3 in the second set, but then broke straight back.
The Romanian has won nine matches in a row.
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Halep was not the only Romanian athlete in the spotlight of late.
