The final of the WTA Premier 5 tournament - the Western & Southern Open - in Cincinnati, Ohio, was between Romanian Simona Halep (1) and the Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens.
Halep’s credentials are obvious to all - world number one by some margin, 2018 Roland Garros champion, 2018 Australian Open finalist, and just last week the Rogers Cup title winner.
Bertens has this year raised her game to another level, bursting from just a renowned clay court specialist to a terrific player on any surface and a threat to all, as evidenced by victories over Venus Williams and Karolina Pliskova at Wimbledon and successive wins over Petra Kvitova In Montreal last week and here in the semi finals.
Today should hopefully test Halep and provide an entertaining final.
Halep won the toss and chose to send Bertens to the line - the right decision as it turned out - Bertens hit some good forehands, one clean winner, but a double fault plus a few loose shots outweighed the good, and Halep broke for a 1-0 lead.
The break was consolidated after Halep recovered a 0-30 position, an ace included.
Bertens was on the scoreboard with a solid hold, finishing with a cool drop shot. 2-1 Halep. 3-1, as a double fault and 15-30 didn’t faze the top seed.
No problems for either on serve and winners came readily the next two games, Halep especially strong from the baseline. 4-2.
The pair exchanged backhand winners, then shared forehand winners, before Halep forced a Dutch error and created a break point - this was converted and the top seed had 5-2 with serve to come.
In a somewhat scrappy game, Bertens wasted her first break point of the match and Halep held serve to take the opening set in a canter 6-2.
Bertens looked much better in the opening game of set two, willing to attack more, moving forward to take points at or close to the net. 1-0 with an ace to finish it.
Two excellent returns from Bertens, the first a clean winner, and quickly there were three break points available. Two saved, the second with a forehand winner. Deuce after a Bertens error. Game point after Halep displayed incredible movement and pace to defend, ultimately making ground to a drop shot and putting away a forehand winner.
Forehand Romanian winner and 1-1.
Bertens led 2-1, starting with a service winner and ending with a winning drop shot.
Not sure which is more annoying - the Halep screaming or the incessant crap from the commentators. Actually Halep’s debts could be forgiven today because she was delivering an awesome brand of tennis. The commentary was delivering garbage at times.
Halep’s first two serves in the fourth game set up 30-0, a forehand winner incorporated. Bertens responded with a winning backhand, drop shot and forehand to have break point. Halep found the net and Bertens finally found a break to lead 3-1. That was soon 4-1 and the match was now truly on.
Halep’s focus remained strong and she held comfortably for 2-4.
The high standard which Bertens had displayed in the set thus far left the stage dramatically in the crucial seventh game, and two break points were gifted to Halep as a result. Another wayward shot from the Dutch racquet donated the break back and games were on serve 4-3 to Bertens.
4-4 quickly and pressure squarely on the shoulders of Bertens.
An ace at 15-30 came as relief for Kiki but not so the volley which won Halep the next point after a magical rally. However, she saved the break point and held for 5-4
After seeing game point unconverted, Halep needed to save a break point which she did and levelled at 5-5.
A love game from Bertens and 6-5.
Halep easily held and took the set to a tie break
Bertens, with all out attack, had the running at 5-3, but Halep roared back, winning the next three points to have championship point on the Bertens serve.
Bertens not only saved that, but won the two subsequent points to win the set 7-6(6). A decider was required.
The first three games of set three were service breaks and Bertens led 2-1.
The lead was extended to 3-1, thanks to a drop shot and winning forehand from Bertens and errors from Halep.
The Romanian had lost control over her shot making and this, together with consistently solid returning from Bertens, saw Halep face three break points in the fifth game. It was sealed with a Bertens winner and the Dutch player was ahead 4-1 with a double break.
A Halep forehand winner had Bertens at 0-30, and an extraordinary chase and retrieval from the top seed with ultimate forcing backhand to create an error, produced two break points.
Both saved, and despite a Halep forehand winner, serve was held and Bertens was a game away from the title.
Halep survived two Bertens winners and it was 5-2, a chance for Kiki to serve it out.
A big serve created an error and brought up two championship points.
Fittingly an ace won the match for Kiki Bertens in two hours five minutes, 2-6 7-6(6) 6-2.
The Western & Southern Open trophy was hers, and for the second year running, Simona Halep was the bridesmaid.
This year, however, the Romanian was part of a tremendous final and apart from the immediate disappointment of losing, Simona should be confident of her chances at the US Open.
As too should Kiki Bertens, whose name just keeps growing as one of the best in the game. Top ten is beckoning, and don’t be surprised if it is achieved before 2018 is done.
Already Bertens is contending for the end of year WTA Finals, currently sitting nearly 300 points clear at number 7 (before the tournament she was number 12). The top eight will contest the Finals.
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