Australian Open 2018 runner-up Simona Halep says tournament was beautiful despite loss in final

Doha: Beaten Australian Open finalist Simona Halep said on Tuesday that she enjoyed everything that happened in Melbourne despite being left in tears at losing the chance of her first Grand Slam title. “Everything was beautiful at that tournament even if I lost the final,” the Romanian said at a press conference in Doha as she arrived to play in this week’s Qatar Open. “I took only the positives and I’m really motivated to go ahead. So everything was really good for me.” [caption id=“attachment_4314057” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Romania’s Simona Halep. AP[/caption] Halep was defeated in a memorable and gruelling three-set final by Caroline Wozniacki in Melbourne last month, which also meant she lost her World No 1 ranking to the Dane. Previously, she admitted the loss, her third Grand Slam final defeat, had left her in tears. Doha represents Halep’s first return to competitive action since Australia as she has been nursing an ankle injury. The injury forced her out of Romania’s Fed Cup tie with Canada last weekend. Halep has the possibility of reclaiming the world’s top ranking this week if she reaches at least the quarter-finals and goes one round further than Wozniacki. The 26-year-old’s first game is against Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, a former World No 8.