Sports Desk
Rome: Simona Halep is heavily favoured to add a second French Open title to her Grand Slam cabinet, brimming with confidence on the back of a 14-match winning streak and fighting fit having skipped the U.S. hardcourt season due to COVID-19.
The Romanian world number two won in Dubai before the professional season was suspended in early March, and added claycourt titles in Prague and Rome ahead of the Paris Grand Slam, which starts on Sunday having been rescheduled from May.
Due to concerns over travelling during the pandemic, she skipped the U.S. Open, opting to stay in Europe and prepare for Roland Garros, where she won her first Slam in 2018.
The former top-ranked player feels the decision leaves her better placed, both physically and mentally, to challenge for her third Slam title overall.
“It is different (this year). It is true that I am fresher,” Halep told reporters after her Rome win. “Of course I did work hard at home but I didn’t have many matches, so my body is not that used … And with these matches (I won) here I also feel confident. So it’s a better chance.”
An aggressive baseliner with excellent court coverage, Halep last lost in the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open to Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.
Brightening her chances further, the women’s singles field in Paris will be missing defending champion and world number one Ash Barty of Australia, who opted against travelling, and U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka, who suffered a hamstring injury in New York.
The tag of bookies’ clear favourite – emphatically endorsed for Paris by Czech world number four Karolina Pliskova – has not always sat well with Halep.
