Kontaveit Continues Hot Run, Handles Halep For Cluj-Napoca Crown And WTA Finals Berth

Anett Kontaveit will go into next month’s WTA Finals as the hottest player on the tour. The “rolling Estonian” continued her torrid run Sunday easing past Simona Halep 6-2, 6-3 to win in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

“I’m still unsure of what’s going on,” said Kontaveit. “Of course, I’m incredibly happy that I managed to play really well today and win the final. That was the main focus and I’m really, really proud of myself that I managed to do that.”

Kontaveit now has four titles on the year and has won 26 of her last 28 matches and her last 10. Her fifth career title also clinches her the final berth in the WTA Finals next month.

Kontaveit raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first set, then erased a 2-0 deficit in the second winning six of the last seven games.

“I believe in myself a little bit more than I did a couple years ago, and I was trying to be aggressive but also stay consistent, and not go for too much,” said Kontaveit who hired Dmitry Tursunov as her coach over the summer. “I think she is such a good player, and I really tried to just focus on myself and not think about the three times that I had lost to her. I just took it as a new challenge.”

Halep suffered her first loss to Kontaveit, and did so in her home country.

“She deserved definitely to win the match,” said Halep. “I just tried to make it longer a little bit, but I couldn’t. But many positives this week: to play a final after a tough year, it’s always welcome. Even if it’s the smaller trophy, it’s a trophy, so I feel happy, I feel pleased with the way I played this week.”

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