DUBAI - Simona Halep is back in the Dubai final for the first time since 2015 thanks to a convincing 6-2, 6-0 success over Jennifer Brady on Friday.
The Romanian top seed had to grind through two brutal three-setters en route to the semi-finals but enjoyed a routine 62-minute victory against the 52nd-ranked Brady to set up a final showdown with an in-form Elena Rybakina.
Brady was contesting her seventh match in as many days, having battled through three rounds of qualifying before her main draw journey to the semi-finals.
Halep saved the only two break points she faced during the match and broke the Brady serve five times.
No.1 seed @Simona_Halep zipped into her first final of 2020 with a straightforward victory over qualifier Brady at the @DDFTennis--> https://t.co/yJav2SZGS9 pic.twitter.com/UUhNu2sCBi
— WTA (@WTA) February 21, 2020
It's always a privilege to play the last match of a tournament.
Haideeeeee ❤️💪 @DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/8HuLW1YD4n
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) February 21, 2020