By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed for (Roland Garros) and will do everything possible to be ready,” Halep said.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Simona Halep is a French Open favorite—if her injured right ankle heals in time enabling her to play Paris.
The 2014 Roland Garros runner-up underwent an MRI which shows she suffered a torn ligament in her right ankle from a fall during her Rome final loss to Elina Svitolina on Sunday.
More: Ankle Injury Puts Bouchard's Roland Garros in Jeopardy
The fourth-ranked Romanian said doctors told her she has a "50-50" chance of playing the clay-court Grand Slam, which begins on Sunday.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed for (Roland Garros) and will do everything possible to be ready,” Halep said in an Instagram post today. “Doctors say it’s 50/50 at the moment, but it’s made good improvement since Sunday.”
Despite the ankle injury, Halep remains the oddsmakers favorite to capture her first Grand Slam title in Paris ahead of Svitolina, reigning Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza and Kristina Mladenovic.
Halep has posted a WTA-best 12-2 clay-court record this season, including winning her second straight Madrid championship and reaching the Rome final for the first time.
Halep has won 26 of her last 31 clay-court matches.
Playing her 11th match in the past 14 days, Halep raced out to a 5-2 lead in the Rome final then rolled over her right ankle after her shoe caught in the clay.
Halep moved a bit more stiffly in the second set. By the time the third began, the Romanian was laboring even more. Halep tried to compensate playing closer to the lines in the third as he fell into a 0-5 hole.
Svitolina reeled off eight of the final nine games subduing a hobbled Halep to capture her fourth title of the year.