Anett Kontaveit‘s fairytale run in the second half of the season is just getting better with each passing week. After winning the Cleveland Championships, Ostrava Open and Kremlin Cup, she defeated former World No.1 and home favorite Simona Halep in the final to win the Transylvania Open. She defeated Halep in straight sets 6-2,6-3 to win the title.
Kontaveit has now won 20 out of her last 22 matches and has also qualified for the WTA Finals. She won the Transylvania Open without dropping a set, which speaks volumes of her dominance. This was also the Estonian’s first win over Halep.
She was on the money right from the start and didn’t give Halep any chance on her serve. She broke Halep’s serve twice in the first set to win it 6-2. She carried the momentum into the second set and won it comfortably 6-3.
“I’m kind of speechless,” Kontaveit said in the post match presentation. “This week was incredible for me. Of course I’d like to congratulate Simona—you’re such a huge role model, I’ve looked up to you for so many years, and you’ve beaten me so many times. It was an honor to share a court with you.”
‘Anett, you crushed me’: Halep
Halep too admitted that Kontaveit was a better player on the day. She reflected on the tough year she’s had and vowed to bounce back in the next season.
“Anett, you crushed me. But I had an amazing week,” Halep said. “It was a tough year. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to play so well this week, but playing at home is always better. I’m sad that I couldn’t win, but Anett was too good today. Next year I will be here again.”
The home favorite also gave a special shout-out to her husband, Toni Iuruc, whom she married last month. “As this is my first speech this year I would also like to thank my husband for the first time,” she said. “Thank you for being in my life.”
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