Simona Halep, of Romania, holds the trophy after defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, to win in the finals of the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto. AP
Simona Halep, of Romania, holds the trophy after defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, to win in the finals of the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto. AP
Simona Halep, of Romania, holds the trophy after defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, to win in the finals of the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto. AP
Simona Halep, of Romania, holds the trophy after defeating Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, to win in the finals of the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto. AP

Simona Halep holds off Beatriz Haddad Maia to win third WTA Canadian crown


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Simona Halep kept control against unpredictable Beatriz Haddad Maia on Sunday, beating the Brazilian 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to win a third WTA Masters 1000 title in Canada.

The former world No 1 from Romania added the trophy in Toronto to those she captured in Montreal in 2016 and 2018.

She needed two-and-a-quarter hours to deny the South American lefthander the upset victory.

"Here there are many Romanians and they always come to support me. I'm really happy that I could win also here," said Halep, who was backed by chants of "Si-mo-na!" from her vocal fans throughout the match.

She shrugged of nine double-faults and broke Haddad Maia five times from 10 chances as she became the third player with at least nine WTA 1000 titles, after Serena Williams (13) and Victoria Azarenka (10).

Halep, who was playing in her ninth final at the elite level as Haddad Maia tackled her first, won her 38th match of the season and claimed her biggest success since the Rome trophy in May, 2020.

After a year outside of the world's top-10 she is projected to rise to sixth this week with the start of the US Open approaching on August 29.

"I was there for many years but now I feel like it's a big deal to be back in top 10," she said. "I'm really happy with this performance.

"When I started the year I was not very confident and I set the goal to be top-10 at the end of the year -- and here I am.

"It's a very special moment. I will enjoy it. I will give myself credit. I'm just dreaming for more."

Haddad Maia, enjoying a breakout season that included grasscourt titles at Birmingham and Nottingham in June, had toppled world number one Iga Swiatek on her way to the final.

She struck first with a break on the way to a quick 3-0 lead. But Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion, quickly responded, winning the opening set as she spun off six straight games to claim the opener 6-3, in 50 minutes.

Haddad Maia answered in the opening game of the second set with a break, consolidating through a double break for 4-0 before Halep stopped the rot to hold for 1-4.

The Brazilian delivered a huge serve on set point three games later to square the contest at a set each.

But Halep came out ahead after they traded three breaks of serve in the final set, wrapping it up on her second match point as Haddad Maia fired a service return into the net.

Haddad Maia said she was at times overwhelmed by the occasion.

"It was an emotional beginning, even when I was 3-Love up I couldn't hold the emotions. I couldn't control myself," she said.

"Simona started to play better, to improve. I was trying to be more aggressive.

"Today Simona deserved it, she played better than me," added Haddad Maia, the first Brazilian to reach the final of a WTA 1000 event. "She was more brave.

"Sometimes we learn - today, it's a day to learn."

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

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Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

Updated: June 09, 2023, 12:41 PM`