Simona rocks Serena in Wimbledon final

 

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Simona Halep has probably been the best player on tour the past five years, other than Serena Williams.

The WTA has hyped other players such as Genie Bouchard, Naomi Osaka and now Cori Gauff, all of whom appeal to fans.

But Simona has really been the natural heir to Serena’s thrown.

She showed why in the Wimbledon final.

Her speed and defense forced Serena to go for too much and miss put-aways that she makes in her sleep.

Simona’s own dazzling footwork exposed Serena’s heavy feet and lack of movement.

Serena’s power and offensive game is meant to make opponents run — and that is exactly what Simona is built for you. She plays even better on the run. Her wing coverage opens up angles and opens up the court for Simona to hit winners.

Many will remember this final for Serena failing, again, to win her 24th grand slam title.

But they really should remember this as the coronation of Simona, who has now won the French Open on clay and Wimbledon on grass, as the best all-surface player in the game.

“I’m pretty sure it was the best match of my life,” said Halep. “I didn’t think at all who I was playing. I’ve always been intimidated playing Serena. I decided I would focus on myself in a final of a grand slam, not about her.”

“I made way too many errors for a lot of stuff to work,” said Serena. “I was overhitting it because she was getting too many balls back. When somebody plays lights out, there’s not much you can do.”

(words and images copyright Christopher Johnson Globalite Media all rights reserved)