London (Reuters)
Former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep came from behind twice in the two sets to defeat retired Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 7-5 6-4 to reach the third round of the grasscourt major.
The 36-year-old Flipkins, in her 50th and last major tournament, advanced 5-2 in the first set and 4-1 in the second, but the 2019 champion recovered on both occasions to complete a straight-set victory.
This was Romania’s sixth victory over Flipkens in six matches, and the two players hugged for a long time on the net after the match, as the Belgian broke into tears as the curtain fell on her singles career.
Under the eyes of the retired Belgian player, Kim Clijsters, winner of four major titles, who was watching the match from the stands, Flipkins continued to cry, before bidding farewell to the fans in the midst of hot styling from everyone.
The first set saw seven breaks, but it was the 16th seed Halep that bested Flipkins, who achieved the biggest achievement of her career at a grand slam at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals in 2013.
The 2018 French Open champion suffered an early break in the second set, but woke up to break her opponent twice and win the match in one hour and 23 minutes.
In the next round, Halep will meet Poland’s 92nd seed Magdalena Frij for a place in the fourth round.
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