Simona Halep has made a winning return to the courts after a five-month absence after beating world No. 114 Arina Rodionova at the WTA 125 tournament in Hong Kong and she has also clinched her first victory since overcoming Anastasia Potapova in 2022 Cincinnati.
On Wednesday, the former world No. 1 played her first match since a knee injury forced her to retire mid-match in Trophée Clarins in May. And after making a strong start, the Romanian started to struggle a bit and showed some inconsistency – but after some drama – she ultimately managed to beat Rodionova 6-2 4-6 6-4 in just over two hours of play.
In what was just her third tournament since being cleared to return to tennis in March following a doping ban, Halep easily won the first set after claiming two breaks and facing no break points.
But then, the 114th-ranked Australian started showing some signs of life and won the opening three games of the following set. While the two-time Grand Slam champion managed to get that break back, she still lost the second set after dropping her serve in the 10th game.
In the third set, Halep was twice up by a break but twice blew her lead. Fortunately for the 33-year-old, she was able to remain calm – break Rodionova again in the ninth game – and serve out for the match in…
