Melbourne Summer Set 1 2022 Winner: Simona Halep wins first title since Rome 2020
Simona Halep began 2022 with by winning the Melbourne Summer Set 1 tournament. Seeded second in the competition, the Romanian defeated Veronika Kudermetova in the final to win the 23rd WTA title of her career and her first in Australia.
Halep was dominant throughout the the match with the only negative being her four double faults. Her service and return was strong and Kudermetova found it increasingly hard to keep up with her.
SI-MO-NA 
🇷🇴 SI-MO-NA 🇷🇴
It's a 23rd career title for @simona_halep! 🏆 https://t.co/rsCtFmK6Xe
Simona Halep vs Veronika Kudermetova winner
Simona Halep defeated Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets. The Romanian dropped just one set in the entire tournament against Viktorija Golubic in the quarterfinals.
Simona Halep vs Veronika Kudermetova score
Simona Halep defeated Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-3
Title No. 23 clinched 👏
@Simona_Halep defeats Kudermetova 6-2, 6-3.
@TennisAustralia l #MelbourneTennis https://t.co/8RKM8mhur6
Simona Halep vs Veronika Kudermetova match recap
Both players held their serves in the first two games before exchanging breaks in the next two games. However, Halep broke Kudermetova to take a 4-2 lead. The Romanian gained momentum and was difficult to stop. She broke the Russian again to take the first set.
Kudermetova started the second set very well by breaking Halep in the first game. The Russian went 2-0 up and had a chance to break the former Wimbledon champion in the third game. However, Halep saved three break points to take the game.
The former World No. 1 soon found her rhythm and went 3-2 up after breaking Kudermetova. Halep broke the 24-year-old in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead.
Serving for the championship, she won four points in a row to take the match and the title.
This was Halep's third straight victory over Kudermetova, having previously defeated her in the Australian Open and the Kremlin Cup last year.
Halep is yet to face a top-ranked opponent, but the Romanian could not have asked for a better start to 2022 after a disappointing 2021 season. Injuries saw Halep drop down to 20 in the rankings.
The 30-year-old will be in high spirits ahead of the Australian Open following her win in Melbourne and will be keen to make a good run at the tournament.
Halep may not be among the favorites to win the Asia-Pacific Grand Slam. But given her quality and experience, there is a good chance she might cause a few upsets.