Number 2 seeded player Simona Halep edged past Sara Errani 6-4 6-4 after a hard-fought semifinal in the Premier-5 Tournament in Toronto. Errani broke serve for a 2-0 lead in the opening set. but Halep earned a break back point which she converted after Errani made a double fault. Halep got another break for 3-2. Errani faced another break point in the seventh game. She saved it but Halep closed out the set with 6-4 before building up a 4-2 lead in the second set with a double break.
Errani drew level to 4-4 with a break of serve after a double fault from Halep.
Halep broke serve to take the 5-4 lead . The Italian fended off three match points when the Romanian player was leading 6-4 5-4 and even earned a break point but Halep closed out on the fourth match point to clinch the win with 6-4. Halep has reached her fourth final this year.
Halep hit 26 winners to 23 unforced errors.
“It was a tough match today. Sara played amazing She was running everywhere and she was putting so many balls back in the court, so it was very difficult to finish the points. But I did everything I could to finish the match in two sets because I didn’t know how I would do in the third. It’s really nice to play with such a big crowd of Romanians everywhere, so thank you guys for coming. I also want to thank the Canadian people for coming to support us today”, said Halep
Halep will face the big surprise of the day Belinda Bencic who upset World Number 1 Serena Williams after recovering from a set down to take a 3-6 7-5 6-4 win.
Williams raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, although she won just 35 percent of her first serve points. Bencic clawed her way back recovering one of the breaks and reeling off two consecutive games for 3-5. Williams won the final game to win the first set with 6-3. From 3-3 in the second set Bencic won the next two games to take a 5-3 lead with a break of serve in the 8th game. Bencic earned a set point but Williams broke back and drew level to 5-5. In the 11th game Williams earned four chances to serve out for the match but Bencic reeled off the next two games of the second set to win the second set 7-5 and seven of the next eight games to build up a 4-0 lead in the decider. Williams recovered one break but dropped again her serve to trail 1-5. Bencic served for the match but the US legend clawed her way back into the match winning the next three games for 4-5 with two breaks of serve and hit an ace to go up 15-0 in the 10th game. However Bencic earned a match point with a backhand which Serena couldn’t return. On the match point Bencic hit a forehand winner to secure the win with 6-4. Bencic is the youngest player to beat Williams since 2004 when a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova beat Williams at the WTA Finals. will move up in the top 15 of the WTA Ranking. If she wins the title, she could become the top Swiss player in 12th place ahead of Timea Bacsinsky.
The Swiss teenager, who reached the US Open quarter finals last year and won her first title this year in Eastbourne,
“I can’t describe the feeling right now. I was very overwhelmed from the situation on the court but I am just happy the winning forehand landed in and she couldn’t reach it anymore. It was an incredible feeling. I have no words. I was very nervous when Williams broke twice at 5-1 in the third set but I told myself that today was my chance and I had to stay focused and be mentally tough, even if I didn’t do it on the first try ”, said Bencic
Williams lost for the second time in 45 matches this year. She fired 16 aces but committed 12 double faults.
“I think I played really crappy. I just didn’t play up to par today. Today was not my day and hopefully I can rectify that going into hopefully the US Open”, said Williams
