By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 11, 2018
Simona Halep dismissed Ashleigh Barty, 6-4, 6-1, bursting into her third Rogers Cup final in the last four years.
Photo credit: Pascal Ratthe/Tennis Canada Facebook
Don't mess with Simona Halep's sleep schedule.
You might unleash a competitive clocking.
Halep: WTA Tries To Put Me Down
Last night, Halep hammered Montreal schedule-makers for today's 1 p.m. semifinal start time after she defeated Caroline Garcia in the night quarterfinal.
Today, Halep turned frustration to fire blasting Ashleigh Barty, 6-4, 6-1, to charge into her third Rogers Cup final in the last four years.
The Roland Garros champion saved six of seven break points and used a five-game tear to break this match open.
"I think I played smart tennis today," Halep told the media in Montreal. "I pushed her very back on her backhand, then I could just receive a shorter ball, an easier ball for me to open the court. Then I just went all the way also on her forehand, short, cross, long, everything. I played some slices. I think the match was a very good level of tennis even if the rhythm was a little bit mixed."
Halep raised her record to 41-7 on the season. She will face either Sloane Stephens, in what would be a French Open final rematch, or Elina Svitolina in tomorrow's final.
Fatigue was a factor in this semifinal.
The top seed said weariness diminished worriness.
"[The schedule] helps me because I have no expectations and I'm just relaxed because I have nothing to lose on court," Halep told ESPN's Rennae Stubbs afterwards. "I was a little upset because of the schedule, but now that I go through I feel better."
The 2016 champion was feeling control from the start.
Halep slashed a backhand winner crosscourt breaking in the opeing game. She backed up the break at 15 for a quick 2-0 lead.
The 16th-ranked Barty needed to use her variety, the topspin forehand and slice backhand, to present the 5'6" Romanian different spins and heights on her shots.
Instead, Barty found herself dragged into too many crosscourt backhand exchanges. Halep banged a backhand winner down the line then broke on an error for 4-1 only to see the 22-year-old Aussie break right back.
Terrific touch from Barty saw the Aussie carve out a backhand drop shot then nudge a stretched forehand for 3-4.
After a coaching consultation from coach Darren Cahill, who urged her to "keep doing what you're doing", Halep played with clarity reeling off eight straight points on serve to seize a one-set lead.
The Aussie needed to clean up her act. But Barty nudged a slice backhand into net then slapped a forehand down the line into the tape gifting the break to open the second set.
A focused Halep torched Barty's backhand streaking through 10 of 11 points gaining the double break and a 3-0 lead on a Barty double fault.
In a fierce fourth game, Halep fended off four break points, including curling a creative crosscourt backhand on the fourth break point. Halep held firm for her fifth straight game.
Halep saved a break point holding for 5-1.
Though Barty fought off four match points, she coughed up a double fault to end it.
The good news for Halep: A 24-hour rest respite before playing the final though that didn't dampen her feelings about the schedule.
"I finished my day yesterday at 9 p.m. so it was really late until I could sleep," Halep told ESPN's Rennae Stubbs afterward. "I keep my word. I say it was a tough schedule for me. But that's it. I will look ahead."