Halep leads a 14-game winning streak at the French Open | Sports Inquirer

Romanian Simona Halep reacts after defeating Spain’s Garbine Muguruza during her semi-final at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome on Sunday, September 20, 2020 (Alfredo Falcone / LaPresse via AP).

ROME – Two months of physical training. Then three months of practice on clay. Followed by two titles in a row on the red earth.

Amid all the tumult of the coronavirus pandemic, Simona Halep might have found the perfect formula to prepare for the French Open.

When the clay court Grand Slam tournament begins on Sunday, 2018 champion Halep will be on the court against 70th ranked Sara Sorribes Tormo.

“I was very strict with the schedule, I have worked a lot and I have improved a lot physically,” Halep said of her time at home in Romania during the running. “That’s why I can run, I can feel fit in every game. My legs are getting stronger and stronger, which gives me confidence during matches, and also on clay it is (useful) ”.

Second-ranked but number one seeded at Roland Garros because defending champion Ash Barty is not playing, Halep enters with a 9-0 record since tennis restarted, with clay-court titles in Prague and Rome, and a 14-game winning streak dating back to February.

Separated from her Australian coach Darren Cahill for seven months during the pandemic, Halep spent the extended break from competition with her Romanian coach, Artemon Apostu-Efremov.

“The first part of the pandemic was mainly physical, because in Romania we were not allowed to play tennis until May 15,” Apostu-Efremov told The Associated Press. “Then when it was possible to go out and play again… all of our practice was on clay.

“We’ve been, for a while, on clay,” he said, “and you get more used (to) the rebound, with the angles, and I hope this is an advantage for her.”

Another possible advantage for Halep: He did not play the recently concluded US Open, as he decided not to travel abroad due to health problems amid the pandemic. So she wasn’t exhausted from a deep run in New York, not even from travel and jet lag, like many of her main rivals.

At the Italian Open, Halep’s last three matches were against Yulia Putintseva, Garbiñe Muguruza and Karolína Pliskova, all three of whom played at the US Open. Putintseva and Pliskova each withdrew due to injury after losing the first set to Halep, while Muguruza suffered methodical attrition over the course of a long three-set game.

With the French Open rescheduled from its regular May-June schedule to late September and early October, cooler and more humid weather than usual could be Halep’s strong suit: outlasting opponents on long rallies with his fluid movement and improved endurance.

“Playing (an) aggressive game against her is going to be quite difficult,” Pliskova said. “And she (already) had great success in Paris, so I think she’s going to be one of my favorites to go for the title.”

Halep’s decision not to participate in the US Open was made with the same logic that he used when he decided not to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to concerns about the Zika virus.

“If I don’t feel mentally relaxed about health, I won’t go,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t play the Olympics a few years ago. That’s why I didn’t play the US Open. I feel stressed. And when I feel stressed, I prefer to stay home. “

While virus cases are on the rise across France – the number of spectators at the French Open has dropped to 1,000 a day – Halep clearly feels comfortable in Paris, a city she calls her “favorite.”

Having previously lost two French Open finals, Halep claimed her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros two years ago by coming back a set against to beat Sloane Stephens. Halep added a second major trophy by losing just four games to Serena Williams in last year’s Wimbledon final.

So consider Halep, who can claim the top spot from Barty if she wins Roland Garros again, ready to deal with expectations of being a favorite.

“She has high expectations of herself,” Apostu-Efremov said. “This is a strange year and everyone has to adapt to the new environment, new conditions, (fewer) spectators. Some do better, some miss some of these old things. “

Halep, it seems, is better prepared than ever.

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