Sports

^{World number one Simona Halep turned back American Sloane Stephens 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 to win the Rogers Cup women’s title in a rematch of their French Open finale in Montreal on Sunday.}

^{Romanian Halep, who had beaten Stephens in Paris in June, claimed her second Montreal title in three years and third for the 2018 season.}

^{She closed out the hard-fought match with her third ace of the day.}

^{“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to talk again at this ceremony as a winner,” Halep said.}

^{“I feel like I reached my best level of tennis, even if I had a long break before this tournament and I felt dead after the first day.”}

^{Halep fended off four set points to claim a back-and-forth first set in a tiebreak after storming to a 4-1 lead before U.S. Open champion Stephens fought back to level.}

^{Halep broke the third-seeded Stephens with a crosscourt winner to take a 5-4 lead and serve for the set. But the American broke Halep with a forehand winner and held two set points on the Romanian’s serve at 6-5. A crosscourt backhand saved one and Stephens netted a return on the second.}

^{Numerous forehand errors by Halep gave Stephens a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak and the American went up 6-4 before Halep rallied, crushing a backhand down the line to earn her first set point, which she converted.}

^{Stephens led throughout the second set, breaking Halep twice, but the Romanian took control of the third set, turning a break into a 5-2 advantage.}

^{Stephens rallied to within 5-4 before Halep, on her fourth match point, slammed her third ace of the match and dropped to her knees in triumph.}

^{“You make me play better and better every time we play,” Halep said of Stephens.}

^{The American returned the compliment.}

^{“Even though I lost today, I literally left everything on the court,” Stephens said.}

^{“Obviously I’m sad I lost, but losing to the number one player isn’t too bad.}

^{“Every time I play her, she makes me a better player, she makes me raise my level.”}