Simona Halep was defeated 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 by Paula Badosa in the first round of the Miami Open on her return to competition following a doping ban
Simona Halep enjoyed a productive first set against Paula Badosa in Miami, winning it 6-1, but eventually fell to defeat in three sets.Simona Halep enjoyed a productive first set against Paula Badosa in Miami, winning it 6-1, but eventually fell to defeat in three sets.Five hundred and sixty-eight days after she last struck a ball in a match of any consequence, Simona Halep returned to professional tennis from her.
Early on in the encounter against Badosa, Halep was understandably nervous, double-faulting twice in her opening service game. But she quickly settled down and her superior consistency, movement and depth allowed her to quickly break early against an errant Badosa and roll through the first set. Her body unaccustomed to the intensity of top-level tennis after so long, Halep took a medical timeout for shoulder soreness before Badosa served out the second set at 5-4. As Halep looked increasingly fatigued and errant in an intense final set, Badosa took an early break before dramatically holding on despite pain in her right foot in the final games.