World No. 1 Simona Halep is adamant a disappointing WTA Finals campaign has not dented her confidence, maintaining on Friday that she was an “improved” player.
The Romanian needed victory over World No. 4 Elina Svitolina to reach the semifinals but suffered a 6-3, 6-4 defeat in 71 minutes at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday. It was the second consecutive loss for a shaky Halep, who had suffered a big defeat to Wozniacki in her previous match.
A defiant Halep said she would not stew over the early exit. "I will not let this tournament ruin everything I built this year," she told reporters after the match. "I think I improved a lot in myself and also in my game. I'm a different player and I'm stronger," she added.
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The 26-year-old admitted to struggling with the round-robin system of the WTA Finals. "I just talked to my coach before the match that this system, I don't like," she said. "You stay stressed all week. I just want it to be, like, you lose, you go home."
Even though she endured disappointment in Singapore, Halep will finish the year as World No. 1 if Karolina Pliskova does not lift the trophy on Sunday. But she said finishing with the top ranking was not on her mind. "I'm not thinking about being No. 1," she said. "I will wait and we will see who is going to finish (No. 1)."
Halep said she had started to feel the effects of a long season and looked forward to a breather. "It was like a marathon, I feel that all my energy is gone," she said. "I need to rest, and I need to celebrate what I did this year."
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