By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, June 5, 2017
It was rush hour at Roland Garros and Simona Halep was directing the traffic.
In just one hour of play, Halep dished out a pair of breadsticks to Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1, 6-1, surging into the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the first time since 2014 when she fell in the final to Maria Sharapova.
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An energetic Halep is peaking in Paris.
"I think I played my best match this year," Halep said. "I started this tournament pretty well and I am playing better day by day."
The Romanian baseliner raised her 2017 clay-court record to 16-2.
"I’m happy I could finally win against her on a clay court," Halep said. "It’s never easy to play against her, she’s very talented. I had to step (in) to take the ball fast and I played well."
The third-seeded Halep will play Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals that is a rematch of last month’s Rome final.
The fifth-seeded Svitolina rallied from 2-5 down in the final set reeling off five straight games to subdue 290th-ranked Croatian Petra Martic, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
The 22-year-old Ukrainian advanced to her second quarterfinal in the last three years.
Last month, Svitolina raced through eight of the final nine games subduing a hobbled Halep in the Rome final, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, to capture her WTA-best fourth title of the year.
A focused Halep, who sprained her ankle in the Rome final that left her "50-50" for Roland Garros, has found her footing permitting just 19 games in reaching her second career French Open quarterfinal.
"I went for an MRI and the doctor said (the ligament) was broken and I was really scared," Halep told Tennis Channel's Brett Haber. "I felt everything was finished. The doctor from here said (the ligament)is broken, but there are three and the ligaments is not that important as the other two. (He said) if I sleep well, if I eat well and if I believe, there is a 50-50 chance I could play."
Halep has transformed herself from questionable to commanding during this French fortnight.
Winless in four prior clay-court encounters with Suarez Navarro, Halep stared down double break point in the opening game.
The third-seeded Romanian ripped a backhand winner then coaxed three straight forehand errors from the Spaniard to dig out a hold.
Swinging more freely after that test, Halep’s assertive court positioning and command of the center of the court empowered her to take charge.
Straddling the baseline at times, Halep continued to hammer away at the Suarez Navarro forehand banging out a break for 2-0. Two games later, Halep hit a pair of forehand winners stamping a love break for 4-0. She stretched the lead to 5-0 before Suarez Navarro finally stopped the slide.
The Madrid champion bolted a backhand crosscourt to snatch the 25-minute opening set on the strength of eight winners.
The 21st-seeded Spaniard, who had not dropped a set en route to her fifth Roland Garros round of 16 appearance, had no answers for a sharp Halep.
Draining a few more forehand errors, Halep broke for 2-1 then quickly consolidated at love for 3-1. Halep reeled off five straight games completing an imposing victory wheen Suarez Navarro pasted a forehand into net.
The 25-year-old Halep advanced to her third quarterfinal in last four majors and will play for her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2015 US Open.
The departures of defending champion Garbine Muguruza and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in fourth-round defeats yesterday means a first-time Grand Slam champion will be crowned this weekend.
The 2008 Roland Garros girls' champion has been as dominant in the women's draw as nine-time champion Rafael Nadal has been on the men's side.
Halep isn't looking for comparisons nor is she looking past her Rome conqueror Svitolina.
"I cannot compare myself with Rafa, he’s killing everyone here," Halep told Tennis Channel's Jon Wertheim. "I’m really pleased with my victory today. It was a good match and gives me more confidence for the next round."