Hot Halep tunes up for US Open
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Simona Halep rolled past defending champion Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday in the WTA New Haven Open final, her first hardcourt title coming days before the US Open.
Halep, 21, notched her fourth title of 2013, adding it to claycourt titles won at Nuremberg and Budapest and a grasscourt crown at ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
She needed just 66 minutes to defeat former Wimbledon champion Kvitova, the third seed, punctuating her first premier level triumph with her only ace of the contest on her first match point.
“It was an incredible match for me,” Halep beamed. “I played very beautiful tennis today. I was enjoying every moment.
“She played really good also. I’m really happy that I won this match and this tournament. I am feeling very, very good — it’s an unbelievable period for me this year.”
Halep had won nine games on the trot to seal the opening set and take a 4-0 lead in the second before Kvitova managed to hold serve again, the Czech’s errors mounting as Halep’s confidence built.
Kvitova finished with 25 unforced errors against 13 winners, while Halep belted 14 winners with just six unforced errors.
Halep is projected to break into the top 20 in the world this week at 19 in the rankings. She is seeded 21st at the US Open, where she’ll be trying to translate her recent success to a grand slam.
At Flushing Meadows she’ll face Britain’s Heather Watson in the first round.
In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Austria’s Jurgen Melzer won the Winston-Salem Open title on Saturday after Frenchman Gael Monfils retired because of an injury.
Melzer led 6-3, 2-1 after breaking Monfils’ serve in the second set. During the changeover, Monfils received treatment on his left abdominal muscle and hip before opting to retire at the Wake Forest Tennis Center.
Melzer earned his fifth career ATP tournament title and first this season. His ranking will improve five spots to No. 27 today, when the US Open begins in New York.
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