Bonnie Twitty
First Amendment:
Wimbledon (UK) (AFP) – Spanish tennis player Paula Padusa, the fourth seed, was eliminated from the Wimbledon grass championship, on Monday, who was defeated in the round of 16 by Romanian Simona Halep 6-2 6-2.
The 30-year-old Romanian, 18th in the WTA rankings and 2019 Wimbledon champion, needed just one hour to beat the 24-year-old Catalan on the main court of the All England Club of London.
In his first Wimbledon tournament, Padusa had already lost last year in the round of 16.
“I think I played a great match, it’s always difficult to play against a great player,” the Romanian said afterwards, admitting that she was “tense at first but I really enjoyed it.”
Halep showed that she lost none of the genius she expended in her last Grand Slam appearance on grass, when she lifted the title three years ago by defeating American Serena Williams in a grand final.
“I am improving day by day and I am eagerly waiting for the next match to do my best again,” she said.
Halep, who was absent last year and after canceling in 2020 due to the pandemic, said she “missed playing at Wimbledon a lot” and added, “It’s always a pleasure to be back.”
© 2022 AFP
Laurence Malcom
