World Number 2 Simona Halep won the WTA Dubai Duty Free Championships 2020. The Romanian tennis sensation held her game with grit and determination through moments of challenge to emerge victorious at 2020 Dubai Open. Halep has now taken her 1st trophy in 2020. Let’s look at her victory and how this could set her up for the rest on the tennis season.
The Initial Challenges at 2020 Dubai Open
After the 1st round bye Simona Halep took on rising star Ons Jabeur in the 2nd round match. The Tunisian starlet who was the quarter-finalist in the recently concluded Australian Open proved a dangerous early opponent. She did raise alarm bells by taking the 1st set 6-1. Halep however regrouped herself and broke Jabeur twice in succession in the 2nd set. The Romanian would take its 6-2 to put herself on level terms in the match.
The 3rd set was tightly contested and it went down the wire. A tie breaker would decide the result. Halep won it 9-7 and thus came through a difficult test. She would now face Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the 2020 Dubai Open quarter final. The World Number 2 again lost the 1st set. She would again came back strongly and won the next 2 sets 6-2, 6-2. Simona Halep was now in the semis and regaining her form.
The Road To Glory at 2020 Dubai Open
The Semi-final match put Simona Halep against Jennifer Brady of the United States. Brady had earlier shocked another strong opponent Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain. She was now looking to pull another upset. This was however not to be.
Simona Halep proved too much of a competition for the 24 year old American. She took just around an hour to dislodge Brady in 2 sets. The World Number 2 also handed Brady a 2nd set bagel. The 2 time Grand Slam champion was now at the top of her game and very close to her 1st title in 2020.
The Final Frontier
Halep faced 20 year old rising Russian star Elena Rybakina in the final match. The Russian was having a dream run in Dubai. She had dislodged the Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and another strong player Karolína Plíšková of the Czech Republic in her course.
Rybakina looked to go one step ahead as she clinched the 1st set 6 games to 3. Halep however was determined not to miss out on a title win. She came back strongly and leveled the match after winning the 2nd set. It was now a one set shootout for the 2020 Dubai Open trophy. Both players were strong on serve and the match reached the tie-breaker. Just a single mini break would decide the winner as Simona Halep won it 7 games to 5. The Romanian finally got her hands on the 1st trophy of 2020.
Halep Back To Her Best?
The Dubai Open 2020 victory may be a very big title. It however avenges the disappointment of missing out at the Australian Open for Simona Halep. The World Number 2 also now has the much needed confidence as the most crucial part of the year arrives. She will now go to the US hard court swing of Indian Wells and Miami with momentum and form on her side.
Halep also will have her eyes on the 2020 Clay court season. Last year she failed in defending her title at the French Open. Halep would be eager to add some premier clay court titles to her kitty this year. Defending French Open Champion and current World Number 1 could lose some points if she fails to defend her title in Paris. For later part of the year, Halep would certainly be eyeing the Number 1 ranking back. The win in 2020 Dubai Open perfectly sets her course for the 2020 tennis summer.