Return to top 10 is big deal: Halep

TORONTO • For the first time since last August, Simona Halep is back among the top 10 women's tennis players.

After two injury-hit seasons, the Romanian has been working her way back to form this year, reaching the last four at Wimbledon and winning two WTA Tour titles.

The first was in Melbourne in January but Sunday's victory in Toronto was her most significant in over two years - her 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 defeat of Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia helping her rise from 15th to sixth in the world rankings.

Halep's serving woes from her last-four win carried over at the outset of the final, as she produced four double-faults and was broken in the opening game before quickly falling 3-0 behind.

But she responded by changing her tactics, drawing her opponent into longer rallies to reel off six straight games. She sealed the opening set by blasting a forehand winner, pumping her fist as the crowd roared their approval.

Haddad Maia dominated the second set but, in the decider, she badly missed a forehand wide to hand Halep a 4-1 lead she would not relinquish.

The two-time Grand Slam champion sealed her ninth WTA 1000 title and her third Canadian triumph when the world No. 16's service return found the net.

Halep, who clinched her biggest title since the 2020 Italian Open, said: "I've been many years there but now I feel like it's a big deal to be back in top 10. I'm really happy with this performance.

"When I started the year I was not very confident and I set the goal to be, at the end of the year, top 10. And here I am. So it's very special moment. I will enjoy it. I will give myself credit. I'm just dreaming for more."

The third player to earn at least nine WTA 1000 titles, after American Serena Williams (13) and Belarus' Victoria Azarenka (10), also reserved praise for Haddad Maia, saying: "At the start, it was really tough. She's lefty, so it's coming different, the spin. She's very powerful. She's solid. And it's never easy to play against her."

The loss ended an impressive run at the tournament for Haddad Maia, who toppled local favourite Leylah Fernandez, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic en route to becoming the first Brazilian to reach a WTA 1000 final.

While she could not cap her thrilling week, her ranking is now a career high and she hopes more of her countrymen and women will give sports other than football a go.

Haddad Maia also caught the eye of football great Pele, who posted on social media: "How good is it to see Brazilians conquering more and more in the sport."

REUTERS