Simona Halep, who is playing her third final at Madrid, says that the atmosphere allows her to crush the ball on clay.
The Romanian won Madrid last year, beating Dominika Cibulkova in the final. She defeated French player, Kristina Mladenovic, to take the title again this season.
“I like the altitude here. I feel that I have more power,” Halep said. “I feel that I can control the game, even if it's high altitude. I use more spin for this tournament. Maybe I like also that the ball jumps a little bit higher, and I can take it from here, up to the shoulder. I just feel great here at this tournament.”
In the first four months of the season, the 25-year-old was unable to win any big tournaments, though she did reach the semis at Stuttgart last week. The now No. 8 Halep hadn't won tournament since August, when she triumphed in Montreal. She has won 15 titles overall.
“I just feel great here at this tournament. Even if I had two very tough matches, I feel good,” Halep said. “I feel confident here on these courts. I feel that I move well. The clay is very good.”
