Kristina Mladenovic vs Simona Halep (5-7, 7-6 [7-5], 2-6)
Simona Halep knew that it wouldn’t be easy, but she still got the job done as she retained her Madrid crown in a nervy three-set finale that kept tennis online betting heated throughout.
Most betting tips already had the Romanian winning the trophy, but pre-match betting odds were tight between the two especially with Kristina Mladenovic being a proven nemesis to the clay-court specialist.
It took two hours and 43 minutes to decide the game, and both players made each other work hard for every point.
Halep, however, produced her best tennis when it mattered most, taking advantage of Mladenovic’s exhaustion in the decider to pull away early before closing the game in style and serving the match out to love.
Mladenovic, of course, didn’t go down without a fight. The World No.17 was reportedly experiencing back pain, but she still managed to win two long rallies in the second set tie-break that allowed her to force the decider. She even frustrated Halep to the extent that the third-seeded star was given a code violation for kicking her racquet in the direction of a ball boy.
Nonetheless, in the end, it was Halep who played better and smarter. The Frenchwoman had the opportunity to take the first set when she was serving at 5-4, but the defending champion showed her expertise early to win three straight games and get the lead.
It was Halep’s second straight Madrid title which also made her the second woman – after Serena Williams in 2013 – to retain the crown. Additionally, it was her first title of the season.
“I feel great that I could defend this title,” said Halep, who will move up to fourth when the new rankings are released. “It means a lot because it’s very big and gives me confidence for the bigger tournaments.”
With the victory, Halep has now won 22 of her last 25 matches on clay, making her one of the favourites to contend for the grand slam at Roland Garros later this month.
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