By Erik Gudris | Saturday, October 18, 2014
If last year announced her presence on tour, 2014 certainly cemented the reputation of Romania's Simona Halep as one of the tour's most consistent players.
Halep, who finished last year ranked just outside the top 10 and won the season ending Tournament of Champions in Sofia, Bulgaria, set her sights on this year's WTA Finals as a goal.
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"Last year when I played Sofia, I told my parents that my dream was to play the big, big one, the big championships tournament," Halep said to WTA.com. "I tried everything to qualify for Singapore. I just wanted to play with all the eight best players in the world. And it's very special for me that I qualified."
Halep ensured her debut in Singapore with a strong season especially in the early half. After picking up titles in Doha and Bucharest, Halep marched into her first ever Grand Slam final at Roland Garros.
There, she took on Maria Sharapova in a three set thriller that the Russian won. Many still feel that encounter on the Paris red dirt is the best women's match of the year and it proved that Halep is truly a force on clay. But the Romanian proved she is equally adept on all surfaces.
With her thoughtful game mixed with speed, shot placement and big serving when she needs it, Halep made yet another deep run at a major - this time at Wimbledon. Reaching the semifinals there, before losing to Eugenie Bouchard, Halep looked poised for even more success in the late summer.
Halep, reaching a career high ranking of No. 2 in the world, once again battled Sharapova in a tense three set tussle in the Cincinnati quarterfinals. The summer hard court swing wouldn't prove as successful for Halep though as she lost early both in New Haven, where she was defending champion, and then in New York. Asia also proved tough as injury forced her out of Beijing before a quarterfinal meeting with Ana Ivanovic.
Though the Romanian proved she can pretty much outlast most everyone on the tennis court, 2014 has been a season of adjustment to her new role as of the WTA's elite players. While Halep admitted her confidence took a bit of a dive in the last few months, she has a chance to rebound in Singapore.
In many ways, the pressure is off Halep and if she can produce her best tennis that can be a pleasure to watch with its often graceful yet powerful efficiency, she just might go deep in the elite eight women field.
By becoming just the third Romanian woman ever to compete at the year-end championships, Simona Halep keeps making history for her country. But don't be surprised if Halep creates a few more in a career that just seems destined for even more breakthroughs soon enough.
Season Highlights:
43 Wins, 14 Losses
Winner: Doha, Bucharest
Finalist: Madrid, Roland Garros
WTA Finals Best Result - First Time Appearance in 2014