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Associated Press

Clutching her trophy 20 minutes after becoming Wimbledon’s champion, Simona Halep looked at the board inside Centre Court that lists the tournament’s winners. Below all of the mentions of Serena Williams, her opponent in Saturday’s final, there was already inscribed: “Miss S. Halep”.
Halep was not concerned about preventing Williams from winning a 24th grand slam title. All she cared about was winning her first at the All England Club. And she played pretty much perfectly.

On top of her game right from start to finish, Halep overwhelmed Williams 6-2, 6-2 in stunning fashion for her second major championship. The whole thing took less than an hour as Williams lost her third slam final in a row as she tries to equal Margaret Court’s record for most major tennis trophies.
“I’m very sure,” Halep said, “that was the best match of my life.”
The seven-seeded Romanian made a mere three unforced errors, a remarkably low total and 23 fewer than Williams.
Not bad for someone who has been frank about how jittery she has been in past big matches and began the day having lost nine of 10 matchups against Williams. But after losing each of her first three major finals, Halep now has won two straight – the other being last year’s French Open.

“She literally played out of her mind. Congratulations, Simona,” Williams said during the trophy ceremony. “It was a little bit ‘a deer in the headlights’ for me.”
Williams also lost in straight sets against Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final a year ago, and Naomi Osaka at the US Open last September.
“I just have to figure out a way to win a final,” Williams said.
The 37-year-old American has not won a tournament since the 2017 Australian Open, when she set the professional-era record of 23 grand slam championships. Court won 13 of her titles against amateur competition.
French Open: Serena Williams knocked out by Sofia Kenin in third-round upset
Williams was pregnant when she won in Australia then took more than a year off the tour; her daughter, Olympia, was born in September 2017.
Since returning to tennis, Williams has dealt with injuries but is still among the game’s elite. In part because of a bad left knee, she only had played 12 matches all season until Wimbledon.
“Just got to keep fighting,” Williams said, “and just keep trying.”
It did not take long on Saturday for the 27-year-old Halep to demonstrate it was not going to be easy for Williams.
Wimbledon 2019: Simona Halep seeks ‘revenge’ as Zhang Shuai aims to better Li Na with semi-final spot
Showing off the talents and traits that once lifted her to number one in the rankings, Halep never really gave Williams a chance to get into the match.
“I’ve always been intimidated a little bit when I faced Serena. She’s an inspiration for everyone and the model for everyone,” Halep said. “I decided before the match that I’m going to focus on myself and on the final of [a] 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 tracked down everything, as is her wont. She did not merely play defence, though, managing to go from retrieving an apparent point-ending stroke by Williams to lashing a winner of her own in a blink.
Her returns were exceptional, repeatedly getting back serves that left Williams’ racket at 185km/h (115mph) or more.
Halep began with a pair of service breaks and even delivered the match’s first ace which put her in front 4-0 after 11 astonishing minutes.
Wimbledon 2019: China needs someone like Simona Halep, says Zhang Shuai
Halep won 14 of the first 18 points, with many in the crowd roaring for each of the rare ones that went Williams’ way. Halep produced eight winners before a single unforced error, avoiding a miscue until the seventh game.
Williams, in stark contrast, came out looking a bit tight, short-arming shots and accumulating nine unforced errors before conjuring up a single winner.
Williams’ greatest show of emotion came after she stretched for a forehand volley winner on the second set’s second point. She leaned forward and yelled, “Come on!”

But the comeback never came. Halep broke to lead 3-2 in that set when Williams pushed a backhand long, and there wasn’t much left from there.
Halep had only been as far as the semi-finals once at Wimbledon until now. But she was determined to change that and said she told the locker room attendants at the beginning of the tournament she wanted to grab a title to earn lifetime membership in the All England Club.
“So here I am,” she said on Saturday. “Now I am happy.”


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Wimbledon

Wimbledon 2019: Romania’s Simona Halep wins women’s title, serves Serena Williams her third consecutive grand slam final loss

Simona Halep celebrates after beating Serena Williams in the women’s singles final on Saturday. Photo: AP

Romania's Simona Halep serves to United States' Serena Williams in the women's singles final match on day twelve of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 13, 2019.(Laurence Griffiths/Pool Photo via AP)

(190713) -- LONDON, July 13, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Serena Williams of the United States reacts during the women's singles final match with Simona Halep of Romania at the 2019 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Britain, July 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)

TOPSHOT - US player Serena Williams returns against Romania's Simona Halep during their women's singles final on day twelve of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 13, 2019. (Photo by Ben Curtis / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE

Romania's Simona Halep returns against US player Serena Williams during their women's singles final on day twelve of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 13, 2019. (Photo by TOBY MELVILLE / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE

Simona Halep and Serena Williams holding their Wimbledon trophies. Photo: dpa

Wimbledon 2019: Simona Halep seeks ‘revenge’ as Zhang Shuai aims to better Li Na with semi-final spot

Zhang Shuai competes against Dayana Yastremska. Photo: Xinhua

(190708) -- LONDON, July 8, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Shuai celebrates after the women's singles fourth round match between Zhang Shuai of China and Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at the 2019 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Britain, July 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

(190708) -- LONDON, July 8, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Shuai of China hits a return during the women's singles fourth round match between Zhang Shuai of China and Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine at the 2019 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Britain, July 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

(190709) -- LONDON, July 9, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Cori Gauff (L) shakes hands with Simona Halep after the women's singles fourth round match between Cori Gauff of the United States and Simona Halep of Romania at the 2019 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Britain, on July 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

(130703) -- LONDON, July 3, 2013 (Xinhua) -- Li Na of China reacts during the quarterfinal of women's singles against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland on day 8 of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, Britain on July 2, 2013. Li Na lost 1-2. (Xinhua/Yin Gang) (lm)

Wimbledon 2019: China needs someone like Simona Halep, says Zhang Shuai

Zhang Shuai and Simona Halep shake hands after their Wimbledon quarter-final. Photo: Kyodo

Harry Potter fan Simona Halep glides into French Open fourth round

Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova celebrates after winning her third-round match against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic at Roland Garros. Photo: AFP

Romania's Simona Halep throws her racquet after losing a point against Spain's Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor during their French Open third-round match. Photo: AFP

After stunning Simona Halep at Wimbledon, Taiwan tennis star Hsieh Su-wei has recipe for success at All England Club

Hsieh Su-wei celebrates her win over Simona Halep in their third round match at Wimbledon. Photo: EPA

Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan signs autographs after defeating Simona Halep of Romania in their women's singles match on the sixth day at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday July 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan celebrates defeating Simona Halep of Romania in their women's singles match on the sixth day at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday July 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

epa06871274 Simona Halep of Romania in trouble against Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan in their third round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 07 July 2018. EPA-EFE/NIC BOTHMA EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO COMMERCIAL SALES

China's Li Na defeats Simona Halep of Romania in second round at Wimbledon

Li Na hits a return to Simona Halep of Romania during their second-round clash at the Wimbledon Championships in London. Photo: EPA

Sport

Tennis

Flawless play from first time winner at the All England Club left veteran American rival struggling to find points


Flawless play from first time winner at the All England Club left veteran American rival struggling to find points.


Serena Williams