Simona Halep wins first match since 2022 with three set fight against Arina Rodionova in Hong Kong
WTA
Simona Halep has won her first match since August 2022 when she defeated Anastasia Potapova with the former World No.1 returning for the first time since June at the Hong Kong 125k.
Halep defeated former Aussie No.1, Arina Rodionova 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in what was a tough start on paper. But one that she excelled in through the stretch. She battled through fatigue in what was a tough examination to start off with especially after only making the decision to play this tournament late in the day last week.
She was due to return at the Hong Kong Open which is a WTA 250 in the coming weeks. But instead decided to seemingly pay back the faith they put in her to give her a wildcard for that tournament in the first place to play this week too.
She last played at the Trophee´ Clarins in Paris after not being given a Roland Garros chance. But she got injured early on against McCartney Kessler.
But despite a good first win in terms of match time and the fight she had to put in, she could yet face Emma Navarro in the third round. Next up is another tough test as she faces Anna Blinkova after she came through in straight sets.
It is a stacked tournament with Navarro being World No.8 and playing. But even in the same section is Ruse v Tomljanovic just under who could be a Quarter-Final opponent for Halep or Navarro.
Halep sealed the win with six aces, 62% of her first serve points won and a pretty good clearance rate when it came to break points winning 6/11. In just over two hours, it was a grueller as she threw her hands aloft and celebrated as the Romanian fans in the stands also did. Bigger tests await but a big win for her comeback.
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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