By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, May 21, 2017

 

Elina Svitolina fought off a hobbled Simona Halep in the Rome final, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, to capture her WTA-best fourth title of the year.

Photo credit: Zimbio

Passionate fans make Rome an inspiring locale for Elina Svitolina.

Though past results presented a bleak Roman reality: The 22-year-old Ukrainian managed just one win in three prior Rome appearances.

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Staying power drove Svitolina to a clay-court peak in the Eternal City.

Fighting back from a set and a break down, Svitolina surged through eight of the final nine games subduing a hobbled Simona Halep, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, to capture her WTA-best fourth title of the year.



The eighth-seeded Svitolina raised her record to a tour-leading 31-6. I

"I needed to be patient then wait for my opportunity then do something with it," Svitolina said.

Capturing the most prestigious clay-court title of her career—and first clay-court crown since the 2015 Marrakech—will propel Svitolina back to the Top 10 when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow.

Svitolina is projected to rise to No. 6 in the rankings.

“It was very tough match today,”  said Svitolina, who earned 900 ranking points and the champion's check for $572,080. “All the week so many tough matches. It was an amazing day for me today and all the week I really enjoy. It’s very inspiring to play in front of Italians. I really enjoy it a lot.”

Contesting her first Rome final, Halep had won 26 of her last 30 clay-court matches, including her second straight Madrid title last weekend. Playing her 11th match in the past 14 days, Halep battled a gritty opponent, a cranky ankle, lingering fatigue and herself at times as she grew frustrated in the final stages.

The WTA leader in clay-court wins this season raced out to a 5-2 lead then rolled over her right ankle after her shoe caught in the clay. Halep moved a bit more stiffly in the second set. By the time the third began, the Romanian was laboring even more. Halep tried to compensate playing closer to the lines in the third as he fell into a 0-5 hole.

The combination of Halep’s compromised movement and Svitolina’s unerring baseline drives saw the Romanian spit up 47 unforced errrors.

“Sorry guys for the third set, it was tough for me to go through,” Halep told Rome fans afterward. “Elina played really well.

“It’s nice to play in Roma. It’s my first final here. Hopefully I will get another chance to win it.”

It was Svitolina’s third consecutive victory over a Grand Slam finalist following her quarterfinal conquest of US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova and semifinal advance against reigning Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza. Svitolina improved to 5-0 against Top 5-ranked opponents this season, including a pair of wins over world No. 1 Angelique Kerber.



Halep, who effectively used her topspin forehand to build a one-set, one-break lead, began to lose her range and struggle with her movement a bit in the early stages of the second set.

Svitolina, who surrendered serve to start the second set, began hitting with more depth and reeled off three straight games for a 3-1 second-set lead.

Undeterred, Halep broke back when the Ukrainian scattered a slice backhand wide. Halep saved a break point holding at 3-all.

After stamping a hold in the seventh game, Svitolina called for the trainer to treat an apparent groin injury.

During that break, Halep’s coach, Darren Cahill urged his charge to use her forehand to back up her opponent and to stop griping over a first-set moment that still perturbed her.

“Your energy levels are down at the moment because you’re complaining,” Cahill said. “Play. We’re in a great spot here. Be disciplined and responsible for every point. Come on. Let’s go!”

Serving for the set in the ninth game, Svitolina slid a backhand down the line for set point. Halep erased it firing a forehand strike down the line.

A double fault gave Halep a break point and she followed a mis-hit rifling a backhand pass to break back for 4-5.

Receiving treatment on the ensuing changeover, Halep had her right ankle re-taped, which gave her a short-term boost.

Moving with more urgency and confidence after the tape job, Halep worked through a tricky deuce hold. When her mis-hit forehand landed short, Svitolina pasted a forehand into net as Halep held to level.

Still, Svitolina stayed patient and kept working the point with crosscourt depth and angle.

In the 12th game, Svitolina exploited a sloppy patch from the Madrid champion earning triple set point.



On her third set point, Svitolina pounced on the Romanian’s second serve jolting an electric forehand return into the corner to snatch the second set. Svitolina played cleaner tennis throughout the set committing 13 unforced errors compared to 22 for the 2014 Roland Garros finalist.

The final set was all Svitolina as Halep dissolved.

A double fault, stray backhand down the line and running forehand long saw Halep lose eight of the last nine points on her serve as Svitolina broke for 2-0. Two games later, Svitolina broke again.



Erasing a break point with a fine running backhand strike, Svitolina stretched her lead to 5-0.

On her third championship point, Svitolina closed the two hour, seven minute victory with the biggest clay-court title of her career.