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By Chris Oddo | Saturday August 19, 2017

 
Simona Halep

Simona Halep cruised past Sloane Stephens and into her second career Cincinnati final, leaving her one win from the No.1 ranking for the third time in three months.

Photo Source: Rob Carr/Getty

Once again, Simona Halep is one win from claiming the WTA’s top ranking for the first time. The Romanian notched a breezy 6-2, 6-1 win in 54 minutes over Sloane Stephens at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati to set up a dream final with Spain’s GarbiƱe Muguruza.


For the third time since Roland Garros, Halep will play a match where a victory would vault her to the top of the WTA rankings. At the French Open she was three games from No.1 when she held a set and 3-0 lead over Jelena Ostapenko before falling in three sets; at Wimbledon she was up a set on Johanna Konta with a shot to claim the top spot but fell in three dramatic sets.

On Sunday the Romanian will take a third shot at the top spot. With a victory over Muguruza she will pass Karolina Pliskova to become the WTA’s 24th No.1-ranked player in history.

“For sure it’s a great feeling that I can play the final again,” Halep told Andrew Krazny after the match. “This match was really good, I feel that maybe I played my best tennis. I’m really enjoying the moment here and like I said yesterday I feel great on this court so tomorrow I hope to give again my best.”

The Romanian did not face a break point against a lethargic Stephens, and struck 11 winners against nine unforced errors while breaking five times on nine opportunities.

Stephens, playing just her fourth event after returning from a year-long hiatus due to a foot injury and related surgery, seemed to lack energy after reaching semifinals at back-to-back events at Toronto and Cincinnati.

During a first-set changeover she told her coach Kamau Murray that she was having trouble getting her feet moving. That didn't change as Halep dominated the match, finishing by winning 84 percent of second-serve return points.

Still, Stephens is projected to rise all the way inside the top 70 from outside the Top 900 a month ago.

Muguruza will bid for her fifth title on Sunday; Halep her 15th. The Spaniard has taken two of three meetings with Halep, including both of their hardcourt tilts.

“It’s going to be a very tough match,” Halep said. “She’s a Grand Slam champion. I just have to come here and give it everything I have.”

 

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