By Marisa Bojiuc | Tuesday, April 7, 2015

 

World No. 1 Serena Williams has won five of six meetings with Simona Halep, but their thrilling semifinal showdown in Miami shows this is the best rivalry in women's tennis.

Photo credit: @MiamiOpen

Sometimes, a match can deliver high drama and forecast the future.

When world No. 1 Serena Williams squared off against third-ranked Simona Halep in the Miami Open semifinals, we witnessed riveting tennis while gaining a glimpse of the game’s future rivalry.

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Fresh off the biggest title of her career at Indian Wells, Halep tested the reigning Miami champion on her home court, bringing out some of the champion’s best tennis while rousing Romanian fans who supported Halep in chants of “See-Mona!” See-Mona!” throughout a thriller.

Ultimately, Serena won the match, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, and Simona won the top seed’s respect.

After a grueling victory with both women pushing each other all over the court in the final set, Williams revealed she is a fan of Halep’s style.

“I think her game was great,” Serena said of Simona. “She plays so good and it’s so good to see her play so well. She’s so young. I actually love watching her play. I’m actually a fan of hers. I like to watch her.”

The feeling is mutual.

Simona said she grew up a Serena fan and is inspired by Williams’ fighting spirit.

“I am [a Serena fan] since a long time ago,” Halep said after the Miami semifinal. “I learn many things from her. When she won a Grand Slam I was like a kid, so I like to watch her, how she's playing and fighting until the end. She's still here No. 1 in the world and winning titles, so it's amazing. I respect her career and her person.”

The result and the post-match remarks raise a couple of interesting questions:

1. Is it fair to call Williams vs. Halep a rivalry when Serena has won five of their six meetings?

2. Can this match-up truly catch fire as an intense rivalry when the participants’ trade compliments instead of negative comments?

The answer to both questions is yes.

When we watched Williams and Halep waging those rugged running points in Miami, we saw the signs of a true rivalry at the top of women’s tennis, which is exactly what the game needs.

Though Maria Sharapova is still ranked second, Williams has dominated the Russian imposing an 11-year winning streak against Sharapova that leaves their matches looking like a foregone conclusion before the first ball is struck.

Halep is a different story.


Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)

Make no mistake, Serena Williams is a dominant world No. 1 riding a 21-match winning streak and primed to continue her rise up the ranks of the all-time Grand Slam champions list.

Furthermore, the fact Williams lost in the French Open second round last year means she should feel less pressure playing Paris this year, while Halep will shoulder the burden of defending her Roland Garros final ranking points.

Still, if the 23-year-old Romanian stays healthy she is the true rival to 33-year-old Serena.

Here are five primary reasons why Halep will eventually challenge the 19-time Grand Slam champion for the world No. 1 ranking.

Court Coverage and Defense
One of the quickest women in tennis, Halep has the speed to defend Williams’ blasts, the agility of a midfielder and the balance to pull of amazing running shots. Players who can read the court and extend points, like Martina Hingis and Justine Henin, have given Serena problems in the past. If you saw the Miami match you saw Simona force Serena to hit one more ball.

Balance off Both Wings
Halep’s two-handed backhand is considered by many opponents to be her best shot, but her forehand is also a weapon. The fact that Halep can hit both shots down the line is critical because you have to be able to change direction and hit behind the speedy Serena to truly challenge her.

All Surface Skills
One of the many reasons why Serena dominates is because she wins on all surfaces. Simona is an all-surface threat as she showed in 2013 winning six titles on three different surfaces: Clay, grass and hard court. In 2014,Halep won Bucharest and reached the Roland Garros final on clay then advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals. In her first-ever clash with Williams, Halep took a set from Williams at the 2011 Wimbledon.

Spirit and Commitment
Like Williams, Halep is a dedicated fighter who is unafraid of showing her emotions on court, occasionally spiking her racquet and slapping her leg to pump herself up. Like Serena, Simona has passion for the game and pours herself into improvement. In the last year, Halep has sharpened her forehand, moved closer to the baseline to play with more aggression and recently worked with adidas coach Darren Cahill, who coached both the youngest (Lleyton Hewitt) and oldest (Andre Agassi) men’s No. 1 players, in lowering her ball toss. The result is an improving serve.

Confidence from Success
Every player dreams of beating Serena, but Simona has already done it. In Singapore last year, Halep dished out a bagel to Williams in a 6-0, 6-2 win only to see Serena return the favor days later with a 6-0, 6-4 victory in the WTA Finals title match. Halep doesn’t have to rely on false hope before matches, she knows she can beat Williams if she can produce her best tennis at the right times. Because she's already done it.

Halep's shot variety when needed to change the direction of the ball, her agility to compensate for her five-foot-six size and her charisma has attracted a loyal fan base. In a sport like tennis with a win-love brand, having charisma and a positive attitude are two important characteristics to enjoy and win the match. Both the players and fans appreciate the quality of character and class. You can’t write about Halep without mentioning the support and enthusiasm from the Romanian fans. The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells was Halep’s biggest title and she showed a full range of emotions ranging from hope, to struggle, to frustration to her fighting spirit in a comeback triumph over former champion Jelena Jankovic.

It was all the spirit of a champion.

It’s been a while since Romanians have seen one of their own winning such a significant title. Their excitement is genuine and strengthens the bond between Halep and her devoted following of Romanian and global fans.

The Miami match will be the start of something special in a rivalry to watch between Williams and Halep.

Marisa Bojiuc is a long time tennis writer and the Founder and Editor of Tennis Mirror. Originally from Transilvania, Romania she has lived most of her life in Los Angeles.