Dubai Tennis Championships: Simona Halep captures 20th singles title with tiebreaker win over Elena Rybakina

Dubai: Top-seeded Simona Halep won her 20th singles title after prevailing in a third-set tiebreaker to beat Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the Dubai Championships final on Saturday. No. 2-ranked Halep was 3-1 down in the third set. The Romanian broke to lead 6-5, but Rybakina’s powerful hitting forced the tiebreaker. Rybakina led 4-3 but Halep converted the only match point. [caption id=“attachment_8075981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Simona Halep poses with the Dubai Tennis Championships trophy. Image AP[/caption] “It was amazing,” Halep said of the 2 1/2-hour final. “(Rybakina) fought till the end. She didn’t give up any balls. It was really tough mentally. The pressure was very high. But I want it badly, so that’s why I fought till the end.” The Wimbledon champion won her second Dubai title. Rybakina knocked out Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in earlier rounds, and was playing her fourth final of the young WTA season. She’s lost three of them. Rybakina is projected to rise two spots to a career-high No. 17 in Monday’s rankings update. “She’s strong. She’s tall. She has power," Halep said. “I think she’s really good to get into the top 10 very soon.