Halep fully recovered from ‘very scary’ back injury for 2019 campaign
▶ Romanian has not played since October as she prepares to compete at Sydney International
World No 1 Simona Halep has admitted a back injury that ended her 2018 season early was “very scary”, but she has recovered and is feeling fit heading into the new season.
The Romanian, 27, has not played since withdrawing from the WTA Finals in Singapore in October with a herniated disc, and said she had to take total rest for six weeks to recover.
“It was very scary because it was below the back, so it’s always dangerous. But I had treatment at home, I rested for about six weeks and I did nothing, just exercises for the back,” she told reporters ahead of the Sydney International this week.
She has a bye in the first round in Sydney. “I didn’t have pain while I was practising this period, off-season.
“So now I feel confident and it’s okay. But I need to see during the official match.
“I feel relaxed, I feel rested, I feel healthy with the back. But as I said, I didn’t play a match yet so I don’t know for sure how it’s going to be.”
The early finish to 2018 was a disappointing end to a spectacular season, which saw her secure the No 1 ranking for the second year running.
She got off to a stellar start, reaching the Australian Open final and went on to win the Shenzhen Open, the Rogers Cup and her first grand slam title at the French Open.
But it was also a year in which she split with Australian coach Darren Cahill, who is taking a break to spend time with his family. She is yet to replace him and does not plan to do so for at least the next few months.
Cahill, she said, “was a very big part of my career and I want to thank him for that. Together we won the grand slam that we always wished for.
“It’s going to be tough. And it was tough, the off-season, without a coach, without Darren. But he decided this and I fully understood because family comes first always.”
Meanwhile, Karolina Pliskova used all her big-match experience as she came from a set down to overhaul Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko and win the Brisbane International yesterday.
The unseeded Tsurenko looked headed for the biggest win of her career when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, only for Pliskova to come storming back to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 and claim her second title in Brisbane.
Czech Pliskova, the tournament’s fifth seed, started slowly and paid the penalty against Tsurenko, who was serving superbly and winning the battle from the baseline.
“I just felt somehow tired from the beginning of the day,” Pliskova said. “I was missing my shots, just not feeling the timing perfectly. I was sleeping bad. So everything was somehow going the other way.”
The Brisbane title is the 12th of the world No 8’s career and sets Pliskova in good stead ahead of the Australian Open.
Pliskova, 26, has long been touted as a future winner of a grand slam, but despite a stint as world No 1 her best result in a major was runner-up to Angelique Kerber at the 2016 US Open. But she said her ability to win the final would help her in Melbourne.
“When you’re able to turn these matches around, it gives you some extra and different confidence,” Pliskova said.
“It’s not about only playing well. Sometimes you just feel horrible. It’s going to happen in grand slams for sure because it’s for two weeks, so you cannot play amazing for two weeks.”
I didn’t have pain while I was practising this period, off-season. But I need to see during the official match SIMONA HALEP