Halep eases past Zhang in Madrid Open opener

Simona Halep played her first match under Patrick Mouratoglou and it was simple business for the Romanian taking down Zhang 6-2 6-3.

When the news broke out that Halep would be working with Mouratoglou many were stunned. The Romanian explained the partnership as one that should bring out a more aggressive approach to her game. Halep is great at attacking and defending but she isn't as young as she once was and adopting a more aggresive style would allow her to keep the matches short.

Well, she was certainly aggressive in this one. Zhang is not the strongest clay player but the player from China played in solid form recently. Breaking her down is quite down but Halep was able to do it early and often in this match. The first set ended 6-2 for Halep as she dominated on her own serve returning rather well as well.

The 2nd set opened with some struggle for Halep as she was sort of out of rhythm. She missed quite a few balls and Zhang was able to jump put to a 2-0 lead. Halep battled back immediately thanks to a bit of luck but she took it. Eventually, that concluded with two more games for the 4-2 lead in the 2nd set. Halep is quite comfortable in Madrid and she did well in the indoor conditions.

It's raining in Madrid so the roof is closed and it helped Halep attack early in the rallies. She finished off the 2nd set with 6-3 for the solid start.