Simona Halep ended Beatrice Haddad Mai’s dream run in Toronto with a hard-fought 6-3 2-6 6-3 victory to claim her third Canadian Open title on Sunday.
Romania’s Halep’s shaky serve from her semi-final win the day before carried over to the start of the final when she committed four double faults and was broken in the opening game.
Halep responded with a change of tack, forcing the Brazilian into longer forehands to make it six games in a row and wrapped up the opening set when she exploded with a fist-pumping forehand as the crowd cheered her on.
Haddad Maia dominated the second set but was brutal in the decider, missing her forehand badly to hand Halep a 4-1 lead she would not relinquish.
The two-time Grand Slam champion sealed her ninth WTA 1000 title when Haddad Maia found a match point on her return under sunny skies in the Canadian city.
