Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1141804
28 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 JULY 2019 TENNIS SPORTS SIMONA Halep won her first Wimble- don title and crushed Serena Williams' latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with a devastating 56-minute display of athleticism. The Romanian won 6-2 6-2 in front of an incredulous Centre Court, running after everything the American threw at her. "It was my best match," the 27-year- old said after her second Grand Slam title following her 2018 French Open success. For 37-year-old Williams, it was a third major final defeat in 12 months. "She played out of her mind, it was a little bit deer in the headlights for me," Williams said. Halep shows no nerves as expectation weighs on Williams Williams, like in last year's final defeat by Angelique Kerber, seemed weighed down by public and personal expecta- tions as she quickly fell 4-0 behind in the opening set. Halep had said beforehand that she had no pressure on her and that is ex- actly how she played. From the outset she looked relaxed and confident, attacking the Williams serve and keeping the rallies long and deep to force the American into errors. While Williams closed her eyes at changeovers to try to regroup, Halep kept her eyes on the prize and kept her cool to take the victory on her second match point when the American sent a forehand into the net. Halep's level never dropped in an al- most perfect display where she made just three unforced errors to Williams' 26. Halep sticks to the perfect gameplan Seventh seed Halep, in her first major final since winning the French Open last year and having lost her world number one ranking, flew under the radar at these championships while much of the focus was on Williams and her record chase. But she executed the perfect game- plan - stifling Williams' biggest weap- on in her serve - and it was credit to her returning ability that Halep re- stricted the American to just two aces when she had fired 45 during her oth- er matches. Halep's movement around the court contrasted with a sluggish Williams - who at one point was urged to "wake up" by one shout from the crowd - and her tenacity in the rallies forced the American to overcook her shots through what felt like desperation at times. A break in the first game set the tone, with Williams firing wide before a Ha- lep hold to love underlined her deter- mination to win. The net helped Halep in the next game, with her shot scrap- ing over but Williams' return bouncing back at the American. With just 11 minutes on the clock Halep had won the first four games and she barely slowed down, facing just one break point - which she saved. Williams started to get herself a bit more into the match early in the sec- ond set but when she came to the net for a volley with the whole court at her disposal and only managed to find the net, giving Halep the break, she must have known it was not going to be her day. Halep then won the next three games in a row, falling to her knees with her arms raised to the sky in celebration as Centre Court rose to is feet in appreci- ation of one of the greatest Wimbledon final performances. Wimbledon 2019 Simona Halep beats Serena Williams to win title Simona Halep executed a perfect gameplan