Top seed Halep is not one to indulge in runaway dreams
london — WItH only onE otHEr top-10 sEED lEFt In HEr HAlF oF tHE DrAw, SImonA HAlEp CoulD BE ForGIvEn For tHInkInG tHAt tHIs mIGHt BE tHE yEAr wHEn All roADs At WImBlEDon lEAD to tHE finAl.
AFtEr All, sHE HAs AlrEADy rEACHED tHE sEAson’s first two mAJor finAls, wInnInG At RolAnD GArros AnD finIsHInG runnEr-up to CArolInE WoznIACkI In AustrAlIA.
HowEvEr, It wAs Just As wEll sHE Is not onE to InDulGE In suCH runAwAy DrEAms As sHE Got A ruDE rEAlIty CHECk on THursDAy wHEn sHE FEll 5-3 BEHInD In tHE first sEt oF HEr sEConD-rounD ContEst AGAInst CHInA’s ZHEnG SAIsAI.
THE InsCrutABlE look on HEr CoACH DArrEn CAHIll’s FACE GAvE notHInG AwAy But EvEn HE must HAvE stArtED to wonDEr wHEtHEr tHE RomAnIAn woulD BEComE tHE nExt BIG-nAmE CAsuAlty At tHE
You need a better game, in my opinion, to win on grass. You have to be more aggressive, to go to the net more Simona Halep
GrAssCourt mAJor, wItH fivE oF tHE top EIGHt sEEDs FAIlInG to survIvE tHE opEnInG tHrEE DAys.
But HIs RomAnIAn CHArGE sHowED All tHE HAllmArks oF A GrAnD SlAm CHAmpIon As sHE won tHE nExt 10 GAmEs on tHE trot to EmErGE unsCAtHED From tHAt FrIGHt AnD sECurE A 7-5 6-0 wIn.
“I HAD prEssurE lIttlE BIt oF losInG tHAt sEt. But I DIDn’t pAnIC. I tHInk tHIs wAs tHE BEst tHInG tHAt I DID. I wAs Just CAlm,” tHE top sEED, wHo wIll nExt FACE HsIEH Su-wEI From TAIwAn, tolD rEportErs.
“I rEAlly BElIEvE tHAt I HAvE tHE powEr to ComE BACk IF I stAy FoCusED. I Just opEnED my GAmE BEttEr. AFtEr tHE first sEt, I stArtED to plAy muCH BEttEr.”
WHIlE HAlEp HAs ConquErED All BEForE HEr on ClAy AnD HAs Also provED tHAt sHE CAn mAkE A BIG ImprEssIon on HArD Courts, HAvInG rEACHED tHE AustrAlIAn OpEn finAl tHIs yEAr, GrAss ContInuEs to CHAllEnGE HEr.
AskED wHAt sHE nEEDs to Do to lIFt tHE VEnus RosEwAtEr DIsH, sHE sAID: “You nEED A BEttEr GAmE, In my opInIon, to wIn on GrAss. You HAvE to BE morE AGGrEssIvE, to Go to tHE nEt morE.
“I’m tryInG to ADJust on tHIs surFACE As muCH As possIBlE. I HAvE tHE CourAGE to sAy mAyBE I HAvE A CHAnCE to wIn tHIs tItlE. But I Don’t wAnt to FoCus on tHAt. I Just wAnt to FoCus mAtCH By mAtCH.” —