Halep strolls back into Madrid final with win over Sevastova
>> MADRID: Defending champion Simona Halep cruised back into the final for the third time in four years with a 6-2, 6-3 success over Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the women’s event of the Madrid Open on Friday.
“I heard that I am the first player who does three finals here this tournament,” said Halep.
“I feel like [at] home here. “The crowd is supporting me all the time. The courts fit me. I feel that the altitude is helping me also.”
The Romanian reeled off five straight games to close out the opening set.
Sevastova hinted at a fightback early in the second as she got out to a 3-0 lead.
But Halep bounced back i n emphatic fashion to win the last six games for the loss of just 14 points.
Halep will face in-form Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic, who overcame Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), to make her third final of the season.
Meanwhile, the level of media coverage surrounding Maria Sharapova’s return to tennis from a doping suspension has been a key factor in the fivetime Grand Slam winner being offered wildcards to events, men’s world No.1 Andy Murray said.
It was reported that Sharapova would be awarded a wildcard to play at next month’s Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Sharapova’s current ranking of 258, after a return from a 15-month doping suspension, was too low to merit a direct entry for the event and the organisers were looking to give her one of the four available wildcards.
The former world No.1 has played two tournaments through wildcards since her return — losing in the semifinals at last month’s Stuttgart Open and falling to Eugenie Bouchard in the second round of the Madrid Open last week.
“I do think the tournaments are going to do what they think is going to sell the most tickets, give them the most coverage, get the most people in to watch,” Murray said.
“I’m sure the LTA saw the coverage that was given... the amount of media covering it, and think that’s what’s best for the tournament in Birmingham. But I’m sure it’s split a lot of opinion.”