By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, February 17, 2022

Simona Halep is smiling again on court—and that's a scary proposition for opponents.

Two-time Dubai champion Halep hammered out a 6-4, 6-3 win over eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur to roll into tomorrow's blockbuster Dubai semifinal vs. Jelena Ostapenko in a rematch of the 2017 Roland Garros final.

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Healthier and happier after an injury-ravaged 2021 season, Halep raised her record to 11-1 on the season equaling world No. 1 Ash Barty and Madison Keys for most WTA Tour wins in 2022.

"I feel confident. I feel that my game is there," Halep told the media in Dubai afterward. "I just need to play matches without thinking about the result.

"Of course, it's going to be a big challenge tomorrow because will be probably similar to today because Ostapenko is hitting very strong and doesn't have rhythm. But I played few times with her, so I will think about those matches and think what I will have to do."

After a challenging 2021 season in which the former world No. 1 suffer a torn calf muscle in Rome that sidelined her for Roland Garos and Wimbledon and saw her briefly fall out of the Top 20 for the first time since 2013, Halep is healthy and happy thriving in a dual role: Player and coach.

The 30-year-old Romanian, who split with coach Darren Cahiil last September ending a highly-successful six year partnership, has self-coached successfully this season. The 55-year-old Cahill coached Halep to the world No. 1 ranking in 2017 and 2018 and to her maiden major championship at the 2018 Roland Garros. 

Alexandru Tanase and Theodor Cercel are helping Halep in Dubai this week, but she's shown strong self coaching skills to reach her second semifinal of the season after winning her 23rd career title last month at the Melbourne Summer Set 250 tournament.

Though the two-time Grand Slam champion is enjoying "the freedom" of calling her own shots, like any good coach, she knows there's much more work to be done.

"Though I'm proud with how I handled this week, but is not over yet so I don't want to finish it yet," Halep said. "The coach is always important in the team. Maybe the most important person because it keeps you between the lines and gives you confidence.

"But as I said, I enjoy the freedom. I feel like I can play few more tournaments like this. We will see. I have nothing planned."



The 23rd-ranked Romanian, who says her goal is "to go back to the Top 10", expects a stiff showdown in her rematch vs. Ostapenko tomorrow.  

In a brilliant display of first-strike tennis, Ostapenko punished 54 winners roaring through 12 of the final 16 games hitting Halep right off the court, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, to capture her first career championship in the 2017 Roland Garros final. 

Halep figures to be fresher in this rematch as she's scored three straight-sets wins, while Ostapenko has pulled successive 7-6 in the third marathon wins over 2020 Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. Ostapenko is playing for a fourth consecutive victory over a major champion.

"Every match is important," Halep said when asked of her Dubai title hopes. "The title is very far. I still stay like with my feet on the ground. I know that I am coming back from a tough injury, from a tough year, so I'm really happy and very pleased that I have the chance to play semis here.

"I'm looking forward actually to give tomorrow again my best and to fight."

 
 Photo credit: Florin Baltatoiu