Simona Halep wins 3rd National Bank title

Associated PressAug 15, 2022, 1:12 AM EDT

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

TORONTO — Simona Halep of Romania won her third National Bank Open title, beating Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

The 30-year-old Halep, also the 2016 and 2018 winner in Montreal, won her 24th WTA Tour and first since switching to Patrick Mouratoglou as her coach.

“It’s tough to compare,” Halep said about the three victories. “I’m a different person. I’ve changed so much. But the happiness of winning a title is the same. This tournament is a pretty big tournament, it’s a great tournament.

“It’s a great victory, in my opinion. I really take it with both hands. It gives me an extra boost to believe that there is more to come.”

Halep admitted earlier this season that she was considering retiring from professional tennis in 2021 after falling out of the top 10.

“When I started the year I was not very confident and I set the goal to be, at the end of the year, top 10. And here I am,” said Halep, who will jump to No. 6 on Monday. “So, it’s a very special moment. I will enjoy it. I will give myself credit. I’m just dreaming for more.”

The 26-year-old Haddad Maia played her first WTA Masters event final. In June, she won consecutive grass-court events in Nottingham and Birmingham in England for her first two tour titles.

“I think we are improving a lot every single day,” Haddad Maia said. “Not even in the matches, but, outside of the tour, when we are practicing. We are taking care of my body. We are doing good things.”

She beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the round of 16.

Later, Coco Gauff took the top spot in the doubles rankings when she teamed with fellow American Jessica Pegula to beat Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Pere 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-5 in the final.

The 18-year-old Gauff and Pegula won their second title as a team. Gauff and Pegula were the runners-up at the French Open in June, when Gauff also reached her first singles Grand Slam final before losing to Swiatek.

Gael Monfils withdraws from French Open with wrist injury

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:34 AM EDT

Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS — A thrilling five-set victory took a toll on Gael Monfils, whose withdrawal from the French Open handed No. 6 Holger Rune a walkover to the third round.

The 36-year-old Frenchman said he has a strained left wrist and can’t continue.

He battled Sebastian Baez for nearly four hours on Court Philippe Chatrier before beating the Argentine 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in a first-round match that ended at 12:18 a.m. local time.

The victory was Monfils’ first at tour level this year, as the veteran was coming back from heel surgery.

“Actually, physically, I’m quite fine. But I had the problem with my wrist that I cannot solve,” he said. “The doctor say was not good to play with that type of injury. Yesterday was actually very risky, and then today definitely say I should stop.”

Monfils reached the semifinals at the French Open in 2008 and made it to the quarterfinals on three other occasions.

Mikael Ymer fined about $40K after default for hitting umpire stand with racket

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 3:55 PM EDT

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS — Swedish tennis player Mikael Ymer was docked about $40,000 after being disqualified for smashing his racket against the umpire’s chair at a tournament the week before he competed at the French Open.

An ATP Tour spokesman said Ymer forfeited about $10,500 in prize money and 20 rankings he earned for reaching the second round of the Lyon Open. Ymer also was handed an on-site fine of about $29,000.

The spokesman said the ATP Fines Committee will conduct a review of what happened to determine whether any additional penalties are warranted.

The 56th-ranked Ymer, who is 24 and owns a victory over current No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, was defaulted in Lyon for an outburst late in the first set against French teenager Arthur Fils last week.

Ymer was upset that the chair umpire would not check a ball mark after a shot by Fils landed near a line. As the players went to the sideline for the ensuing changeover, Ymer smacked the base of the umpire’s stand with his racket twice – destroying his equipment and damaging the chair.

That led to Ymer’s disqualification, making Fils the winner of the match.

After his 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 loss to 17th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the first round at Roland Garros, Ymer was asked whether he wanted to explain why he reacted the way he did in Lyon.

“With all due respect, I think it’s pretty clear from the video what caused it and why I reacted the way I reacted. Not justifying it at all, of course,” Ymer replied. “But for me to sit here and to explain? I think it’s pretty clear what led me to that place. I think that’s pretty clear in the video.”