Kiki stuns No 1 Simona for WTA title

CINCINNATI: Dutch challenger Kiki Bertens profited from a third-set collapse by Simona Halep to score the biggest win of her career Sunday, beating the world number one 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in the Cincinnati WTA final.

“This is the best day of my career, winning on a surface that you didn’t really like. That’s a great feeling,” Kiki said.

Simona, who claimed the Montreal title a week ago and came into the final on a nine-match winning streak, ran out of reserves and was unable to stop the mounting Kiki’s momentum.

The upset took just over two hours and marked the 10th time this season that 17th-ranked Kiki has defeated a top 10 opponent.

“It was such a tough match, and after winning that second set I knew, anything is still possible — ust keep on going,” said Kiki, who claimed a sixth career WTA title.

Kiki saved a Simona match point in the second-set tiebreaker to stay alive.

Simona had looked like ending a quick afternoon with a victory after breaking Kiki twice to sweep the first set.

But the 26-year-old Dutchwoman, who had considered retiring last season due to poor results, began to turn the tide in the second as she broke for a 3-1 lead.

Simona got that break back in the eighth game to make it 4-all, and took tighter control in the tiebreaker.

But Kiki won four games in the decider to take a 4-2 lead and quickly seized the set seconds after saving the match point.

Simona seriously faded in the final set, going down two breaks to trail 1-4.

Kiki kept up the pressure and advanced with a winner on her first match point, posting her second career win over Simona six years after beating her for the first time.

The depleted Simona is still entered as top seed in the upcoming WTA tournament in New Haven, which ends just two days prior to the start of the US Open in New York.

While not specifying if she will actually play, Simona said she would travel to Connecticut on Monday.