Dubai: A new house in Romania but very little rest – that’s the status update from Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open champion Simona Halep.
Seeded No.1, Halep went on to beat 17th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 7-6 (4) late on Saturday to claim her second singles title of the season. Halep also won in Shenzen, China last month, and Dubai marked a second Premier 5 title – the highest level of WTA events after the Grand Slams, WTA Championships and the Premier Mandatory tournaments.
Her mission accomplished, Halep was scheduled to travel to neighbouring Doha for the Qatar Open – where she claimed her first Premier 5 crown last season but has second thoughts now.
“I am tired, very tired. I have pain everywhere, but it’s normal. I had tough matches and tomorrow [Sunday] I will have treatment again. Everything hurts, my ribs, my ankle…so I hope I will be okay for next week, and I hope to recover fast,” Halep told media.
“I’m not sure now and I cannot say [about going to Qatar]. I have to relax tomorrow and to see next week,” added Halep, who will climb to World No.3 when the WTA Tour rankings are announced on Monday.
Halep’s win on Saturday made her richer by $456,000 (Dh1.67 million) and she has her options. “I have many things in my mind, but I’m not sure what I would choose. Tonight it’s tough to choose. May be tomorrow. For sure tomorrow I’m going to the mall a little bit to choose something, but not very big. I’m going home after the tournament [Qatar Open], and I will look, I think, for a house,” Halep said.
The 23-year-old Romanian first broke into the world’s top 50 at the end of 2012 and then into the top 20 in August 2013 – during which time she won an incredible six WTA singles titles – to break into the top 10 by January 2014 following her quarter-final at the season-opening Australian Open.
Halep reached the final of the French Open last year, her first Grand Slam final where she lost to Maria Sharapova in three sets. Halep also made it to the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore where she went down to Serena Williams. And that’s where her concerns lie.
“I’m trying just to play match by match and to train what I have, less good in my game, just stay focused and just enjoy out there on court. I think that was the secret of my results till now, so I have just to think positive and to go ahead and work hard,” Halep said.
