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Romanian tennis player Simona Halep was defeated by Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in three sets, 2-6, 7-6 (0), 6-0, on Friday, in the semifinals of the 768,680-dollar WTA 500 tournament in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
Halep (30 years old, #23 WTA) bowed out after one hour and 36 minutes, following a weak match.
Simona Halep, the champion in Dubai in 2015 and 2020, had a good start with the first set, won 6-2, managed a spectacular comeback in the second set, but lost the game following a lost tie-break and an easily conceded final set.
Ostapenko (24 years old, #21 WTA) now has 2-1 in direct matches with Halep, after the Latvian defeated Halep in the Roland Garros finals 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, in 2017, and Halep returned the favor that same year, in the Beijing semifinals, 6-2, 6-4.
Halep goes out of the competition with a check for 37,500 dollars and 185 WTA points.
