Top-seeded Simona Halep had to fight hard to advance to the second round of the Prague Open in beating unseeded Polana Hercog 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (3) yesterday.
It was the first competitive match for Halep since she won the Dubai Championships in February for her 20th career WTA title. Before the Wimbledon champion recovered from a foot injury she sustained in Dubai, the coronavirus pandemic forced a five-month break.
The Romanian dropped her serve six times and double-faulted eight times before prevailing in a tiebreaker on her seventh match point.
“After the second set, I felt tired,” Halep said. “But I knew she was in the same position so I just had to stick to the plan and fight. The fighting helped me to win the match.”
She will face next Czech wild-card entry Barbora Krejcikova.