Simona Halep beats Madison Keys to clinch Rogers Cup crown
The many red-and-yellow-clad Romanian fans at Uniprix Stadium got what they came for Sunday when Simona Halep beat Madison Keys in the Rogers Cup final.
The many red-and-yellow-clad Romanian fans at Uniprix Stadium got what they came for Sunday when Simona Halep beat Madison Keys in the Rogers Cup final.
A roar went up and flags waved when Halep finished off the error-prone Keys 7-6 (2), 6-3 to claim the title in Canada on her second try, one year after heat stroke forced her to retire from the final in Toronto.
“I like being here in Montreal at lot,” said Halep, seeded fifth and set to jump to No. 3 in the world. “With all the Romanians, I felt like at home. Many people were coming every day. It was an amazing atmosphere down there. The man that announced us on the court said two words in Romanian, so that motivated me a lot.”
Halep was not the only Romanian athlete in the spotlight of late. She arrived last week in time to take part in the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The star guest was Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian who dazzled the Games with the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history. “When I arrived here first day, I went to that big event for her,” Halep said. “It motivated me a bit. It feels nice that 40 years later I won here in Montreal. It’s a nice thing for Romanians. I’m happy that I could do it.”
Halep outlasted the 10th-seeded Keys in a messy first set and dominated the second in a 1-hour, 16-minute hardcourt match in warm, sunny weather.
Keys has the more powerful serve, but the 21-year-old struggled to get in her first attempts.