Halep rolls over Svitolina to reach first Wimbledon final

Friday, 12 July 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

London (Reuters): In years to come when tennis fans flick through the hefty 500-page Wimbledon Compendium, they will note that in 2019 Simona Halep rolled over Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals for the loss of just four games.

Romania's Simona Halep reacts her semi-final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina REUTERS

What the 6-1 6-3 scoreline will not reveal, however, was that Halep took nine minutes to hold serve in the opening game of the contest played out in glorious sunshine on Centre Court or that Svitolina earned and squandered three break points.

Readers will also have no idea that the first two games alone lasted 20 exhilarating minutes, featuring 10 break points and that Svitolina could have been 2-0 up if she had capitalised on the numerous opportunities that fell her way.

Instead, it was Halep who grabbed the 2-0 lead and then ran away with a victory that put her one win from becoming the first Romanian to lift a Wimbledon singles trophy.

“It is an amazing feeling. I am very excited and nervous, it was one of the best moments of my life and I am trying to enjoy it,” said a beaming Halep after her 73-minute destruction set up a final against Serena Williams.