Svitolina comes back to beat Halep and win the Rome title

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  • Sealed with a kiss: Rome champion Elina Svitolina.

    Elina Svitolina said clinching the Rome title with a final victory over Simona Halep on Sunday was one of the top-three moments of her career.

    The 22-year-old from Ukraine will rise to a new career-high ranking of No6 on Monday thanks to her impressive 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 success over world No4 Simona Halep in the Italian capital.

    It is Svitolina’s eighth career title triumph, and second at the Premier 5 level, having won Dubai last February. Prior to Dubai, all of Svitolina’s six trophies were won at the International level (lowest tier on tour).

    She now has won a tour-leading four WTA titles in 2017, and also leads the circuit with 31 match victories this season.

    Asked if this was the best day of her career so far, Svitolina said: ” One of. I had Dubai tournament. Very tough, as well, because there was something very different, like very special because I was reaching the first time in my life top 10, winning that title. Also first time the biggest title of my career.

    “So probably that one was one of my best days. And also, Olympics, for me, was best day (she beat the then world No1 Serena Williams in Rio). Okay. I can put them in top three maybe”

    Svitolina, who won the French Open junior title in 2010 and reached the quarter-finals of the women’s draw in 2015, will head to Paris next week as one of the ones to watch, alongside Halep, a champion in Madrid earlier this month.

    Her win over Halep means Svitolina is now 5-0 against top-five opposition in 2017.

    She now hopes to translate her top form from the smaller tournaments to the Grand Slams.

    “I have been working with my coach. We were just speaking about it, about preparation that I can do to prepare differently for a Grand Slam,” said Svitolina.

    “Of course during the season, play less tournaments because now I’m almost each week playing, like, lots of matches. Also, because it also damage sometimes your mental part and your physical part in a Grand Slam, when you need to be there, like, 100%. Yeah, just takes time for me.

    “Yeah, I know that I was not doing something right, but I will try to think about it. I have my coach who is there for me always, tries to help me, tries to give me something that gonna help me in this situation.”

    Halep needed treatment after rolling over her right ankle in the second set as she hit a return from the baseline.

    “I had pain. I had pain and I still have pain when I walk,” explained Halep after the final.

    “Mentally, it’s not that bad. So I’m strong, still strong, so I don’t panic about this. I had many on the other leg, but this one is new. So I have to be careful with it. Physically I couldn’t run, so that’s why I didn’t do anything in the third set.”

    Asked if she felt she can be ready for next week’s French Open, Halep, the 2014 runner-up said: “I think it’s enough. I think it’s enough for an ankle, but I have to do MRI to see what it is. I go home to do that, so tomorrow I will find out. Hopefully it’s not that bad. I don’t feel it that bad, but I still feel pain. So I have to go and check.”

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