PARIS (AP) Trailing by a set and two breaks in the French Open quarterfinals, just one game from defeat, Simona Halep was not exactly full of positive thoughts during a changeover before her opponent tried to serve out the victory.
”I said that the match is lost. … That’s it. It’s over,” the Romanian recalled. ”And then I started to feel more relaxed, maybe because I thought it’s finished.”
Well, it worked. The No. 3-seeded Halep came all the way back to beat No. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0 on Wednesday, saving a match point en route to reaching the semifinals at Roland Garros for the second time.