PARIS — Once again, Simona Halep had set the stage for a major disappointment. Halep, the No. 3 seed at the French Open, entered Wednesday with a 0-7 record when losing the first set in the quarterfinals or later at a Grand Slam event.
And here she was, down by 3-6, 1-5 in the second set of her quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina, the fifth seed. Even after Halep held serve to narrow the lead by a game, she was ready to concede defeat.
“She was dominating the match,” Halep said of Svitolina. “I just sat down at 5-2 and I said that the match is lost.