Will Simona Halep's issues prohibit her success at the Australian Open?
It was the foot injury a while back and Simona Halep had played with the deficit an entire tournament if not more. But she has had success despite trying to recuperate and play. There was a time later she'd suffer from a back ailment and had to retire from the Bejing tournament diagnosed as having a herniated disc. The foot is fine and the back ailment has healed but in preparation for the Australian Open, the way most players do practice and re-analyze how their strategies will go, she had to rest her body. It was a rest that she needed but yet she'd sacrifice the practice and match plays in preparation for being ready to play in Melbourne.
Halep's first match at the Australian Open will be with Kaia Kanepi, and opponent from Estonia who had thrashed her in the first round of the U.S. Open last year. When the former coach Daren Cahill texted her of the first round opponent Halep had to take it rather matter-of-factly, for there wasn't anything she could do about the situation.
She had just gotten over playing at the Sydney International up against the iconic Australian genie Ashleigh Barty who played Halep without any struggle or contention and won in straight sets. The match was to be a warm-up to the grand slam, but Halep may need more than the one match to feel comfortable and get her rhythm back again after the absence she's went through since not playing back in September. This won't be happening and she will find herself at a position of combining her expertise and skills together to see what happens. She says that "I am motivated. But it's a little bit different because last year I had about 10, 15 matches before Melbourne, now I have only one, which I lost." She admits that she took the risk in staying out too long, but she will have to go by her experience and instinct on playing her first round with Kanepi, not relying on statistics or what used to be. If she wins she'll have to count herself as lucky and continue on from there. She's not new to tennis and is the number one player in the world who will have to put forth that 100% to override that baggage she's bringing onto the court. As she's said before "But I don't complain. Everything was how I wanted. So now I have just to put my head down and to go and work." It will also be hoping that her performances turn out to be a success now and in the making.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VWdSO0
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