A match between the two top players in the world is supposed to be competitive, especially when it occurs in a final. And that was indeed the case Sunday, as Serena Williams topped Simona Halep 6-3, 7-6 (5) to win the prestigious Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.
Serena Williams wins prestigious Cincy title in key U.S. Open warmup
The American legend couldn’t find a better way to head into the U.S. Open than winning another big tournament.
The win for the world No. 1 served as her fifth title of 2015, and her 69th tournament championship in her career, potentially shaping title number 70 to come at the U.S. Open. Williams could become the first calendar Grand Slam winner since Steffi Graf in 1988.
It was another slow start for Williams in Mason, as the American legend struggled and fell behind 2-0. The 33-year-old found her stride in the middle of the first set, however, taking six of the next seven games to regain control. Despite Halep doing well to stay close in points and retain her aggressiveness, Williams was able to control points at every moment with precision and power.
The Romanian, who took back the No. 2 ranking from Maria Sharapova with her semifinal thumping of Jelena Jankovic Saturday night, showed why she is one of the WTA’s elite players by staying competitive in the second set. A mix of good first serves, solid baseline hitting and fine court movement allowed Halep to stay ahead of Serena throughout the set, and even force the 21-time Grand Slam champion to serve for a tiebreak. When Halep hit a strong forehand to take the lead in the early stages of the tiebreak, 2-1, a frustrated Serena showed her disgust.
Not to be deterred by Halep’s great fight, Williams found that champion’s aura of greatness that she knows when to unlock. She became the more steady baseline player the rest of the tiebreak, causing Halep to hit a forgettable drop shot at match point to seal consecutive titles in Mason for Williams.
“It really wasn’t easy to get this win,” Williams said. “Especially since I haven’t been feeling real confident -- believe it or not. This really is good for me knowing I can win these matches.”
When ESPN’s Brad Gilbert asked about her thoughts on what awaits her at the U.S. Open, the legendary player said she can’t wait to start her campaign in New York.
“I’m ready, I’m so ready,” Williams said. “Win, lose or draw, I’m ready to play and get it over with.”
In the men’s final earlier in the day, Roger Federer secured his seventh Cincinnati title by beating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 7-6 (1), 6-3.
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