Day Seven of the Rogers Cup and it was finals time.
WTA Montreal:
Five times in the first nine games of the match, service was broken, with the result Simona Halep (1) was at the line 5-4, with a chance to deliver the opening set to Romania.
Halep errors from both wings, plus a double fault, gave Stephens three break points, and on the second she hit a winning forehand to level at 5-5.
Stephens hit the front for the first time, having the better of long rallies and holding serve as a result.
Halep saved two set points and a tie break was required to separate the pair.
Stephens led 5-1 in the tie break, only for Halep to close in to 4-5 with a serve to come. She double faulted, giving Stephens two more set points. These were wasted, including one on her own serve.
In fact from 6-4, the American failed to win another point, and Halep won the set 7-6(6), having saved four set points and needing just one of her own.
Three breaks of serve started set two, and Stephens had the edge 2-1 and hopefully a service hold to come which would stop the trend.
A love game consolidated the break, a backhand winner the highlight. 3-1 Stephens.
Sloane played solid tennis to save two break points in the sixth game to lead 4-2, and proceeded to hold again for a 5-3 advantage.
Halep, serving to stay in the set, began with a double fault, then came a winning forehand and 15-15. A Stephens forehand wide and a Halep backhand into the net 30-30.
Stephens’ super backhand set up a volley winner and set point. Weak return and deuce. Stephens, with excellent hands at the net, won herself another set point. A drop shot from Halep forced the error and deuce again.
Stephens reached the next drop shot then thrilled the crowd with an overhead winner. Third set point this game. Saved via an American mistake. A stunning forehand winner and fourth set point, this one converted with a wide Halep shot. 6-3 Stephens and a deciding third set required.
Halep put her second set woes behind her and broke the Stephens serve immediately in set three.
Stephens had a chance to break back in game two, but Halep squashed that. Game four gave Stephens another break point, which she used to effect with a winning forehand. 2-2.
A forehand winner put Stephens ahead 40-0, but she wasted the healthy lead and Halep broke serve to again have the edge 3-2.
Brought to deuce, after two aces had Halep comfortably at 40-15, the world number one stuck strong to secure her advantage and looked close to the title at 4-2.
Two break points on the next Stephens serve and a bad forehand miss from Sloane gave Halep a double break. 5-2 and serving for another title.
Simona Halep ceased her screaming while serving - either she forgot or it was intentional because she was focusing on a victory. Either way it proves that it is a tactic used to distract an opponent, and takes away from the character of the Romanian who is capable of winning without this rubbish.
Anyway, Halep double faulted on her first match point, and was eventually broken.
She still led 5-3 with a break and that was enough to see her through to a 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 victory, her third this year, including a first Grand Slam title in Paris.
Also two runner-up finishes, including the Australian Open (probably still match of the year) make 2018 a big year for Halep as she continues to tick career boxes.
Stephens had multiple opportunities to win today, and should have taken the opening set which may have changed the result, but as a warm up for her US Open defence she should walk away contented.
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