Halep wins the Wimbledon title, beating Williams 6-2, 6-2!
Much has been said about the history Williams is chasing, but history will still be made with a Halep victory. She’d be the first Romanian to win Wimbledon, going one better than Illie Nastase who lost the epic 1972 final to Stan Smith. Halep opens confidently with a quick first point. 15-0. And she takes the second too after another wild and wayward Williams shot. 30-0. Make that 40-0, three championship points. Halep’s heart must be jumping out of her chest. She misses her first serve and the net gods are on her side when her second trickles over. She lands her second second serve ... and Williams goes on to net! Halep has won her first Wimbledon title, to add to the French Open she won last year! She’s graduated from the group of one-slam champions and denies Williams the ultimate piece of tennis history with a quite devastating display!
Second set: Williams 2-6, 2-5 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams’s box, including her mother, Oracene, and husband, Alexis Ohanian, look extremely worried. As does Williams. Her body language isn’t at all positive. Only her second ace of the day gets her to game point. And she’d hit 45 coming into this match. But she then clunks into the net. Deuce. Advantage Halep, break point, which would leave the Romanian serving for her first Wimbledon title. Advantage Williams. But there’s a 24th unforced error. Deuce. Advantage Halep, a second break point. GAme and break Halep, with a laser-like backhand down the line! Halep is a game away from becoming a Wimbledon champion!
Second set: *Williams 2-6, 2-4 Halep (*denotes next server)
However Halep has had some nightmares of her own over the years, especially that French Open final of 2017 when she snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Jelena Ostapenko, having led by a set and 3-0. Will she be able to hold serve from here and close this out? There’s no indication yet of any nerves, as Halep confidently comes through to 30. The former world No 1’s still hitting so deep and true.
Serena Williams continues to struggle. Photograph: The Guardian
Second set: Williams 2-6, 2-3 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Williams finds herself in a bit of a hole at 0-30, which becomes even deeper at 15-40. Two break points. Williams looks as if she’s got her spade out when she takes complete control of a lengthy rally but, at the net with plenty of the court to aim into, Williams blinks and biffs her backhand long! If Williams loses this match, she’ll be having nightmares about that miss tonight.
Second set: *Williams 2-6, 2-2 Halep (*denotes next server)
But anything Williams can do ... Halep matches the love hold with one of her own, the highlight of which was a wonderful game of cat and mouse, in which Halep shows her cunning with a improvised volley before going on to prevail. She’s still made only three unforced errors. She could probably out-Djokovic Djokovic with the consistency she’s showing this afternoon.
Second set: Williams 2-6, 2-1 Halep* (*denotes next server)
Halep is only the second top-10 player Williams has faced this year, and the step up in class has been telling. But signs here that Williams is steadying herself. Some Hawk-Eye drama on opening point. They’ll replay it. Williams wins through. As she does on the second, third and fourth points. Her second successive love hold after those two successive breaks at the start of the match.
Second set: *Williams 2-6, 1-1 Halep (*denotes next server)
“Coco Gauff is probably feeling a little better about things right now,” parps Stephen Cooper. Halep holds to 30.
President & CEO, Caminchi Bridge Corporation. Worked with Multimedia Nova as Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and GM. TV, Film & Music Producer. Academic Director for worldwide Cyberclassroomtv.com Global Online/Distance Education, and Open Learning project
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