Simona Halep believes that Serena Williams has lost the intimidation factor that once condemned rivals to defeat even before they set foot on the court.
Halep on Saturday handed the American legend a 6-2, 6-2 rout in the Wimbledon final to become the first Romanian to win a singles title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The 56-minute dissection of the Williams playbook was the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s most lopsided loss in a major final.
Photo: AFP
With her 38th birthday fast approaching, Williams’ dream of matching Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 majors seems as far away as it has ever been.
“I have always been intimidated a little bit when I faced Serena,” 27-year-old Halep said. “She’s an inspiration for everyone and the model for everyone, but today I decided before the match that I would focus on myself and on the final of the Grand Slam, not on her.”
“That’s why I was able to play my best, to be relaxed, and to be able to be positive and confident against her,” Halep added.
It was a tactic that worked to perfection for the world No. 7, who had lost nine of her past 10 meetings with Williams.
Her only win had come at the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore in 2014.
For Halep, it was a second Grand Slam title after a rebound at last year’s French Open that had followed three losses in title matches at the Slams.
On Saturday, she committed just three unforced errors; Williams was undone by 26.
“I’m very sure that was the best match of my life,” Halep said.
The challenge is for Halep to keep backing it up.
She has been a runner-up at the Australian Open, losing last year’s final to Caroline Wozniacki.
Until this year, she had never gotten beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon, while a last-four run in 2015 remains her best performance at the US Open.
When she won last year’s French Open, she exited Wimbledon in the third round and the US Open at the first hurdle.
“The finals that I lost in the past helped me for sure to be different when I face this moment,” Halep said. “It’s never easy to play a Grand Slam final. You can get intimidated by the moment. You can get too nervous.”
“I have learned that it’s a normal match — not thinking that much about the trophy, just going there and trying to be the best you can,” she added. “So I did that. I said that every time I play a final of a Grand Slam, I will do exactly the same thing — so today I did it.”
Halep — who is looking forward to returning to the All England Club as a life member so that she can “have dinner, have lunch, play a little bit of tennis” — said jokingly that her victory on Saturday was almost by royal command. Up in the royal box was Halep’s favorite: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
“It was an honor to play in front of her. I had the chance to meet her after the match. She’s very kind, very nice,” Halep said. “Yeah, it was an extra boost when I saw all of them there, the royal family.”
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