Simona Halep, the 22-year-old Romanian who made a splash last year by winning six titles on the WTA Tour, has won her biggest one yet at the Qatar Open, beating Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the final, 6-2, 6-3.
For the first time, Halep beat 3 Top 10 players on her way to the trophy, including Kerber (No. 9), having already dispatched Sara Errani (No. 7), and Agnieszka Radwanska (No. 4.)
Despite four break point opportunities, Kerber was unable to break Halep in the match.
“It’s tough to play against a player like Simona,” Kerber said. “I was trying to play my game plan, but it was not easy … she hit the balls very well and on the line.”
“I just want to be focused for every point, to fight for every point,” Halep said. She will rise to a career-high No. 9 when the rankings come out on Monday.
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Cover Photo (Creative Commons License): robbiesaurus