Halep Wins Prague; Brady Earns First Career WTA Title in Lexington

August 17, 2020 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Halep
Photo Credit: Brian Coleman/LI Tennis Magazine

 

It was an exciting weekend on the WTA Tour with multiple tournaments taking place across the world, including one right here in the United States: the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky. American Jennifer Brady captured her first career WTA title in Kentucky, while second-ranked Simona Halep triumphed at the Prague Open in the Czech Republic.

Brady defeated Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann on Sunday, notching a 6-3, 6-4 win.

“It feels great to win my first title,” said Brady. “There’s only one winner each week, so walking away with the trophy for the first time, at home in America, I’m really happy…I’ve always wanted to win a WTA title, and everything I ever imagined turned out to be reality.”

Over in Prague, Halep looked sharp in a 6-2, 7-5 victory over third-seed Elise Mertens in Saturday’s championship match, winning her second consecutive title after having won Dubai back in February, the final event she competed in before the tour shut down.

“I’m very pleased about the way I was adjusting my game to her game,” said Halep. “At the beginning, I was hitting too strong, too flat and she was quicker than me and playing closer to the baseline. I tried to change the rhythm, played a little bit higher and further from her body, and it was much better.”

Following her win, Halep said she would be making an announcement on Monday on whether or not she will travel to New York to compete in the upcoming Western & Southern Open and U.S. Open tournaments. She announced her decision early Monday morning, and the second-ranked Halep will not be coming to Queens, adding another Top 10 player to opt out of this year’s swing in the United States.

“After weighing up all the factors involved and with the exceptional circumstances in which we are living, I have decided that I will not travel to New York to play the U.S. Open,” she said in a statement shared on social media. “I always said I would put my health at the heart if my decision and I therefore prefer to stay and train in Europe. I know the USTA and WTA have worked tirelessly to put on a safe event and I wish everyone there a successful tournament.”

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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