Tennis News

MONTRÉAL, Canada – Following vastly contrasting semifinals, Simona Halep and Madison Keys will renew their burgeoning rivalry at the Stade Uniprix on Sunday afternoon. Here are 10 of SAP’s finest facts ahead of their showdown in Canada.

(5) Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs (10) Madison Keys (USA #12)
Head-To-Head: Halep leads, 2-1

1) An epic rivalry in the making?
Halep and Keys could well be contesting major finals for years to come. However, all three of their previous meetings have occurred with the silverware still some way off. Keys won in straight sets in the first round of Sydney in 2014, before Halep gained revenge at the same stage in Rome the following year. They most recently crossed paths earlier this summer in the last 16 of Wimbledon, where Halep fought back to win in three sets.

2) On top of their game.
Both Halep and Keys can stake a claim to be this summer’s form player. Since a surprise loss to Laura Siegemund in Stuttgart, Halep has won 22 of 25 matches, triumphing in Madrid and Bucharest along the way, Keys, meanwhile, has been every bit as impressive, winning 21 of her past 24, reaching a final in Rome and lifting the title in Birmingham during that time.

3) Halep holds a decided edge in big-match experience.
Keys is becoming an increasingly familiar presence at the business end of tennis’ flagship events. All four of her previous final appearances came at Premier or Premier 5 tournaments, picking up the title at two of these (Eastbourne (2014), and Birmingham (2016)). Halep, however, holds the upper hand in terms of big-match experience, having taken home a couple of Premier Mandatory titles in the past few years, at Madrid and Indian Wells, while also finishing runner-up at Roland Garros and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in 2014.

4) Back-to-back finals no longer a regular occurrence in Canada.
Simona Halep is the first player to reach back-to-back Rogers Cup finals since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 and 2002. Interestingly, every final between 1996 and 2002 featured one player that reached the same stage 12 months earlier.

5) Keys is going for the biggest title of her career and first on hard.
Despite being raised on the hardcourts of the Chris Evert Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, this is the first time Keys has reached a WTA final on the surface. Her best showings prior to this week were semifinal runs at the Australian Open (2015), Sydney (2014) and Osaka (2013). 

6) No stranger to big name upsets.
Keys will be facing off against a Top 5 player for the 16th time in her career on Sunday. Three of her previous encounters have ended in victory, against Li Na (2013 Madrid), Petra Kvitova (2015 Australian Open) and Garbiñe Muguruza (2016 Rome)

7) Keys could break new ground.
Earlier this summer Keys became the 118th player to break into the Top 10. She slipped out following Wimbledon but will return by virtue of reaching the final. Should the American lift the title, she will rise to a career best No.7 in the rankings. Halep will climb to No.3 should she leave with the title and No.4 without.

8) Montréal will have a significant impact on the Road To Singapore leaderboard.
Keys, who has never previously qualified for the WTA Finals, came into the Rogers Cup at No.9 on the Road To Singapore leaderboard but – regardless of the result – will leave no lower than No.6. Halep is guaranteed to rise to No.3.

9) Keys serving notice.
Keys’ imperious serve has been flowing this week, firing down 40 aces in five matches. Against Kristina Kucova in the semifinals, it was particularly dominant; she won 33 of 42 service points and did not face a single break point. 

10) Doubles delight?
In a rare doubles outing, Halep has made it all the way to the final alongside compatriot Monica Niculescu. Should she lift both titles she will be the first player to achieve the feat at the Rogers Cup since Martina Hingis in 2000.

In 2004 the Olympics returned to its spiritual birthplace, Athens, and after three successive gold medals, the United States’ stranglehold on tennis at the Games was finally loosened by a brilliant Belgian…

Athens, Greece, 2004
Athens Olympic Tennis Center
Hardcourt

There is a school of thought that suggests peaking for a big tournament is all about preparation; carefully choosing how much to play and, more importantly, when, in order to maximize the chance of success.

In Athens, Justine Henin threw that theory out of the window.

Coming into the tournament on the back of a 10-week layoff due to a mystery viral infection, there were plenty of questions surrounding what sort of shape the World No.1 was in.

Answers from the early rounds were inconclusive – Henin was rarely forced out of first gear, sweeping past her first four opponents without dropping a set.

In the semifinals, though, any lingering doubts were well and truly extinguished as she battled life and limb with the mercurial Anastasia Myskina for nearly three hours, recovering from 5-1 down in the third before finally triumphing, 7-5, 5-7, 8-6.

Twenty-four hours later she had to drag her weary limbs back on court to face World No.2 Amélie Mauresmo.

Remarkably, there was not a hint of fatigue in her play, as she skipped across the baseline, her elegant groundstrokes at their fluent best. Instead, it was Mauresmo a step off the pace, chasing shadows as she was pushed one way, then another.

After just one hour and 15 minutes, Henin had arrived at match point. Fittingly, it was another textbook point that won it for her – a crisp backhand drive down the line, setting up the easiest of overheads, which the Belgian gleefully accepted to become her nation’s first female gold medalist in 20 years.

“I can tell you honestly that I was always dreaming about Grand Slams,” Henin said. “But now maybe I change my mind tonight, because it’s different.

“You feel like you’re playing for the whole country, for the colors of your country. That’s something really different. When you’re in a Grand Slam, you’re alone.”

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Olympic Memories: Sydney
Olympic Memories: Atlanta
Olympic Memories: Barcelona
Olympic Memories: Seoul