By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 13, 2019
A sublime Simona Halep shocked a skittish Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-2, in a 55-minute thrashing to make history as the first Romanian woman to win Wimbledon and deny the American her record-tying 24th major.
Photo credit: Getty
Chill is the word Simona Halep has used to describe her state of mind this season.
Stepping into the Centre Court cauldron, a red-hot Halep blazed by a frozen Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-2, in a brilliant 55-minute thrashing to make history as the first Romanian to win Wimbledon.
More: Wimbledon Men's Final Preview
In the biggest match of her career, Halep played her best tennis transforming Centre Court into her own supreme comfort zone in what she called the finest hour of her life.
"I knew that I have to be aggressive, being 100 percent for every ball, that I don't have to let her come back to the match because she's so powerful and so strong," Halep said afterward. "She knows how to manage every moment. So I knew that I have to stay there, which I did pretty well today.
"I'm very sure that was the best match of my life. Also on grass against her is never easy. So I'm really proud of my game of today and the whole tournament."
Raising the Rosewater Dish wearing a wide smile of disbelief, 2018 Roland Garros champion Halep captured her second career Grand Slam, virtually ensuring her eventual election to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Halep carried an ignominious 1-9 lifetime record vs. the 23-time Grand Slam champion onto court, but Simona played sublime tennis against a skittish Serena denying Williams her quest to claim a 24th Grand Slam crown to match Margaret Court's all-time major record and tennis immortality.
Playing pristine tennis, Halep committed just three unforced errors—
22 fewer than the seven-time champion.
Dancing is a form of stress relief for Williams, but it was Halep high-stepping her way through the most dynamic final of her career, defusing Williams' vaunted serve, deterring her power with sharp angles and dismissing arguably the greatest player of all time with ease and efficiency.
"She really played out of her mind," said Williams, who fell to 23-9 in Grand Slam finals. "It was a little bit of deer in headlights for me. Whenever a player plays that amazing you just sort of have to take your hat off."
Ultimately Halep's speed and precision trumped Williams' explosiveness and power as Simona dissected a sloppy Serena. The 37-year-old Williams suffered her third consecutive straight-sets loss in a major final. Williams, whose last Grand Slam title came with a victory over older sister Venus in the 2017 Australian Open final while she was pregnant with daughter Alexis Olympia, credited Halep with taking it to her.
"I think for me any loss is not easy, per se. Like I said on the court, when someone plays lights out, there's really not much you can do," Williams said. "You just have to understand that that was their day today. Hopefully they can play like that more often, more consistently. Hopefully I can raise the level of my game sometimes."
The massive pressure of pursuing history—combined with Halep's suffocating court coverage and brilliant shot-making on the move—left Williams looking shell-shocked from the very start as she dropped serve to open the match.
The seventh-seeded Romanian's rapid court coverage haunted Williams when Halep hooked an astounding running backhand pass from the doubles alley to confirm teh rbeak.
Playing her first Wimbledon final, Halep played with more precision and poise punishing Williams' return. Halep converted four of five break points and did not drop serve dismissing the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
"Ay Yi Yi", Williams muttered in disgust after spraying her seventh error to face another break point. A focused Halep slashed her signature shot, the backhand down the line, scoring her second straight break for 3-0.
Halep hammered the first ace down the middle stamping a stunning 4-0 lead breezing through 16 of the first 22 points and leaving the jittery 37-year-old American looking a step slow and erratic.
The 11th-seeded American finally held to get on the board after 13 minutes.
That was a temporary reprieve as Halep saved a break point then spun a slick forehand pass crosscourt holding for 5-1.
When another Williams forehand sprayed wide, Halep blitzed through the 26-minute opener with the calm conviction of a former world No. 1 as her parents and coach, Daniel Dobre, stood in unision applauding a commanding set.
Throughout the fortnight, Williams won 75 percent of her points in four shots or fewer, but facing arguably the best mover in the sport Williams wasn't constructing points and was missing when she tried shortening points with quick-strike tennis.
Widely regarded as the greatest server in women's tennis history, Williams whipped 19 aces in her three-set quarterfinal conquest of compatriot Alison Riske, but managed just two aces today. Halep was reading the serve as if tuned into some internal GPS smacking deep returns.
"I don't know if there's anything I could have done differently," Williams told the media afterward. "I think I gave a great effort for this fortnight. Again, I just think Simona just played her heart out. If anything, I could just learn to be like that. So I don't think there's anything too much differently I could have done today."
A wailing Williams was left lunging at air on a Halep pass facing double break point in the fifth game. Moving up to a short ball, the seven-time champion completely gagged sending a backhand long to gift the break and a 3-2 lead.
The seventh-seeded Romanian backed up the break at 30.
Down 2-6, 2-4, love-30, Williams finally fired her first ace of the match then dotted the center stripe with a second ace to erase break point.
It was too little too late.
Straddling the baseline, Halep drove her dagger backhand down the line breaking for the fourth time.
Stepping up to serve for history, Halep showed no trace of nerve.
On triple championship point, Williams slapped a forehand into the middle of the net completing Halep's historic run.
"I felt my legs that are very soft after I won the last point," Halep said. "I didn't know actually how to react. I just did natural what it came in my inside. Yeah, it's tough to describe the moment. You just feel, like, light, you feel everything it's beautiful, and you just try to enjoy. It's tough to say."
Afterward, a glowing Halep credited her mom, Tania, who told her at the age of 10 if she wanted to be a tennis player, she should aim high and make the Wimbledon final. Mother and daughter shared a tearful embrace today.
"She didn't say anything because she was crying," Halep said when asked about her mom's reaction to a historic triumph. "Just I hugged her and I kissed her. I knew she's very emotional. I just told her that we'll talk later."
Mom planted the vision in her daughter and today, Halep realized it with a glorious Grand Slam performance.