French Open final: Halep hopes third time’s a charm
Simona Halep vowed to erase the misery of her 2017 Roland Garros heartbreak after reaching her third French Open final on Thursday where she will face US Open winner Sloane Stephens for the title.
Halep, the runner-up in 2014 and 2017, enjoyed a 6-1, 6-4 victory over 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain.
Stephens, who won her first major title in New York last year, defeated fellow American and close friend Madison Keys 6-4, 6-4 having never got beyond the quarter-finals in Paris.
“I am really happy that I won the match, it was very important for my mind and I gave it all I had,” Halep said.
After racing through the first set, the Romanian saved three break points in a marathon ninth game of the second which lasted 13 minutes.
“I think I played one of my best matches on clay against a great opponent,” added Halep, who will appear in her fourth final at the majors having also lost in Australia in January. “I was 2-4 down in the second set but I knew I had to fight for every ball, push her back and play the way I did in the first set.”
Halep has now defeated Muguruza in both their meetings on clay and will also retain the world No 1 ranking next week.
However, her sights now turn to the final where she is desperate to erase the memories of last year’s show where she surrendered a set and a 3-0 lead to lose to Jelena Ostapenko.
“I have another chance to be in the final and hope to do better than last year,” she said.
She boasts a 5-2 career lead over Stephens including both their meetings on clay. The American’s last win over the world No 1 was five years ago.
Halep, 26, raced into a 5-0 lead in the first set against misfiring 2016 champion Muguruza who had blasted Maria Sharapova off court on Wednesday for the loss of just three games.
The 24-year-old Spaniard stopped the rot in the sixth game before Halep quickly reasserted her authority.
A sweeping, running forehand into an open court gave her the set with Muguruza having managed just two winners.
It was the first set that the Wimbledon champion had dropped at Roland Garros this year. She also failed to win a single service game in the opener.
Muguruza settled down in the second set, moving 2-0 ahead before Halep levelled in the eighth game. That set the stage for the lengthy ninth game where Halep stood firm.
The spirit ebbed away from Muguruza, who converted just two of the eight break points she carved out.