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Tag: simona halep

  • Is Simona Halep’s Breast Surgery Boosting Her Tennis Career?

    Simona Halep’s breast surgery may just have saved her tennis career. The 22-year-old Romanian tennis pro has propelled herself to the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time in her career, and many are thinking that her breast reduction has something to do with it.

    Halep had the world junior number one spot and the Roland Garros girls title in 2008, but her career didn’t take off.

    Halep underwent breast reduction when she was 18 years old and went from a 34DD to a 34C. Halep has already mentioned that the change in her body has had a positive impact on her game. She said that she is able to move better, has more speed, and her footwork is better. This month, she is ranked a career-high no. 4 seed in the world.

    Simona Halep before her breast reduction

    Halep’s breasts are no longer a hinderance

    On Wednesday, Halep defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-2  to advance to the semifinal round.  Kuznetsova said, “She plays always very smart tennis. She doesn’t overpower you. She takes off the speed very well.”

    “For me to be here it’s not a surprise, because I’m more confident now in myself,” said Halep. The tennis player is very happy to get the chance to play in the fourth round, but remains very focused on winning this year’s French Open title.

    Last year, Halep was voted WTA’s Most Improved Player, and for good reason. Halep has won seven titles in the past 13 months, bested only by Serena Williams. Halep, however, won titles on hard courts, clay, and grass—the only player to do so within that period of time.

    With her success at Roland Garros, it’s clear that Halep’s tennis career is on the upswing, and it may indeed be because of her breast reduction.

    Halep will be facing Andrea Petkovic on Thursday. If she beats her, she will then face Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, or Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova.

    Image via YouTube

  • Maria Sharapova Stages Comeback To Win Madrid Open

    It didn’t look good for Maria Sharapova at the start of the championship match at the Madrid Open yesterday. The Russian dropped the first set to 22-year-old Simona Halep 1-6, holding serve only one time.

    However, somehow the 8th ranked world player, and former number one, put it together and took the next two sets 6-2, 6-3. The match served as retribution for last year’s final, where Sharapova lost to American Serena Williams.

    Sharapova has dominated on clay throughout her career. Since 2011, she is 47-3, all her losses came at the hand of Serena. Luckily for Sharapova, Williams did not play at the Madrid Open this year due to a leg injury.

    The comeback started to brew in the second set with Sharapova’s dominating ground strokes, which kept the Romanian running all over the court. Sharapova was subsequently able to break Halep’s serve twice in the second set to tie the match. She then maintained that momentum in the deciding set to grab her first ever Madrid Open championship.

    This was Sharapova’s 32nd overall championship title. She said after the victory, “I came close last year, and I didn’t have a great first set today, but I knew it wasn’t over until the last point was played.” She added, “I don’t know how I pulled it off.”

    Sharapova missed most of last year with a shoulder injury. However, she looked strong during the Madrid Open and should be a serious contender at next month’s French Open, which is played on clay. Sharapova said at a news conference after the match, “I don’t take these moments for granted because I know what it’s like to be out and injured and trying to find your way back just to play tennis.” The 27-year-old added, “So it doesn’t matter if I’m playing on the moon or in Madrid, to be in the final position is an honor.”

    The victory brings Sharapova up a spot in the world rankings to number seven. On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal captured his fourth Madrid Open championship after his opponent Kei Nishikori had to exit the match due to a back injury. Nadal was leading 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 when the match stopped.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Maria Sharapova Wins Madrid Title, Overcomes Injury

    Maria Sharapova fought back hard to win the Madrid title against powerful tennis newcomer Simona Halep 1-6 6-2 6-3. The beginning looked bleak, but Sharapova was triumphant over her stocky, but spry opponent who also had the advantage of being five years younger.

    Despite her loss to Sharapova, Halep said she had “an amazing week” in the Spanish capital. “I played really well all week and I beat top layers and I had a very high level of my tennis,” she said.”Maria is a great player and a great champion. She played really well, and I think she deserved to win this title.”

    What was her downfall in her opinion?

    “The different I think is the experience. She has more experience than me.”

    Sharapova, a possible contender at the French Open later this month, was out during the second half of last season with a shoulder injury. However, that didn’t seem to stop her from giving her best grunts and shrieks to accompany her mighty form and prowess on the court.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyOKYVepmxU

    After being on the mend for a while she had the vigor of a new appreciation for the game on her side, as well.

    “I don’t take these moments for granted because I know what it’s like to be out and injured and trying to find your way back just to play tennis,” she said. “I like the work that I put in and I want to get the opportunities to be in the final.”

    She added, “So it doesn’t matter if I’m playing on the moon or in Madrid, to be in the final position is an honor.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPvcH3hM-Ac

    The 27-year-old Sharapova is one of the best-paid athletes around and has found success off the court as well as on. She has her own clothing lines and a company that sells awesome candy called Sugarpova.

    But her first love will always be tennis, and now with nine tennis titles, she has joined Venus Williams as the third most successful active player in the sport, one behind Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues and Serena Williams who each have 10.

    Image Via YouTube