Simona Halep: First Top-Seed to Ever Tumble Outta the US Open's First Round

On the bright side, the WTA No 1 spent all of 2018 being installed at No 1 on all four Grand Slam brackets.

It's also respectable that Simona Halep picked up the hardware at one of them.

Almost more impressive was the physical toll Australia's heat took on her, and she still made it to the Open final.

The bummer is, after all that, her campaign this year will most likely be known for what just happened at the US Open.

 

A seemingly endless stream of booming serves by Estonian Kaia Kanepi, the WTA No 44, kept Halep pinned down to the extent that she never really had a chance in this match.

It was all Kanepi, all the time: 6-2, 6-4.

 

That dudette can hammer.

She's firing heatseekers as fast as 122mph/196kmh, but the tennis world just saw she can still be dangerous when they're more restrained and accurate.

It's not like the Estonian is new on the scene. She's 32 and has been wandering in the tennis wilderness for a good share of her career.

 

Sometimes, though, all it takes is one match to set things straight.

One match has basically been a prominent story line in women's Slams this year. In each of the four, top seeds have gone down like trees.

Halep's stumble put her in a dubious set of select company. She's now one of six top Slam seeds to bow out in the opening round.

 

The natural thought would usually be that Halep's loss clears the way for Serena Williams to make a run.

That may well be, but even she isn't assured of dominance anymore.

If there's one constant right now, it's sister Venus. She just claimed her 20th consecutive first-round win at the US Open.

Maybe Halep should ask for a few tips.