World No.17 Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands staged a remarkable comeback win to claim the biggest title of her career at the Western & Southern Open on Sunday, saving a championship point to overcome World No.1 Simona Halep of Romania, 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2 and hoist the trophy in Cincinnati.
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The incredible year of Bertens continued with her second title of 2018, following her championship run in Charleston during the spring. The Dutchwoman evaded a match point in the second-set tiebreak before emerging triumphant in two hours and five minutes after a dominant deciding set.
Bertens extended a staggering streak against Top 10 players with the victory, claiming her eighth win in her last eight meetings against players in that cohort -- but this was her first-ever win over a World No.1, in her first-ever hardcourt singles final.
Halep was aiming to become the first woman to win the Premier 5-level Rogers Cup and Western Southern Open titles back-to-back, but saw her match-winning streak end at nine. Halep fell to 0-3 in Cincinnati finals, having also lost in the championship match in 2015 and 2017.
Big-serving Bertens won 72 percent of points on her first serve, and had 34 winners to Halep's 23. Halep broke Bertens as many times as vice versa -- four breaks for each player -- but could only claim 45 percent of points on her second serve, as the top-ranked player from the Netherlands attacked that shot more and more as the match wore on.
