Tennis: 38 break points later, Halep finally tops Davis

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA— Simona Halep joked she was “almost dead” after her 4-6, 6-4, 15-13 win over Lauren Davis in the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday, a gruelling 3-hour, 45-minute match that featured a countless energy-sapping rallies and a remarkable 38 break points.

But what Halep said got her through the match wasn’t her legs, it was her head.

This is a big change for a player who has sometimes wilted under pressure.

“For sure, I’m stronger mentally, and I could resist like (that) for every moment in the match,” Halep said. “That makes me very happy, and I think the big win is that I could handle it.”

No. 1-ranked Halep has won 15 titles in her career and is a perennial contender at the majors, but has never won a Grand Slam. In last year’s French Open final against Jelena Ostapenko, Halep was up a set and 3-0 but still went on to lose.

Against Davis, however, Halep held her nerve as the third set wore on and her 24-year-old opponent seemed to be gaining in confidence.

The critical moment came when she was serving at 10-11 and found herself down 0-40, facing three match points. Halep remained composed and saved them all — the first time in her career she’s come back from triple match point down.

The 26-year-old Romanian also didn’t get too down after wasting chance after chance to put Davis away. She blew four break points at 8-all, then another five break points at 11-all, before finally converting to take a pivotal 14-13 lead and serve it out.

Davis, who at five-foot-two is the shortest women in the top 100, surprised herself. She’s been ranked as high as No. 26, but has never advanced beyond the third round at a major.

“We were both fighting our hearts out,” she said. “I got to the point where I was so tired where I just told myself to swing and move, and, I mean, for the most part it was very effective.”