Reigning women’s world number one, Simona Halep at last succeeded in taming the demons haunting her as she recorded a hard fought come from behind win against hard-hitting Sloane Stephens of the United States in a 2 hour 3 minutes slug fest at the clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris to annex her first Grand Slam title of her glittering career beating the American 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Simona seemed to be on the point of being confined to going without a Grand Slam as she was trailing against the plucky Stephens at 6-3, 2-0 in the second set, but then overturned the tables to emerge winner in classic fashion. Last year Simona was leading by one set and 3-0 against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in Paris but blew up her chances ending as the runners-up. This year too at the Australian Open she was leading 4-3 in the third set but lost to the ultimate winner Australia’s Carolina Wozniacki.
Simona thus broke ranks with Russia’s Dinara Safina who was the last women’s tennis number one to have never won a Grand Slam title. In her fourth attempt, Simona finally realised her long elusive and cherished dream.
Elvidio Miranda, via email
