Garcia stuns new world number one Halep to win China Open

Caroline Garcia of France kisses the trophy after winning the women’s singles final against Simona Halep of Romania at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 8. (AFP)

Simona Halep of Romania hits a return during her women’s singles final match against Caroline Garcia of France at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 8, 2017. (AFP)

BEIJING: Unseeded Caroline Garcia of France won her second title in as many weeks as she stunned new world number one Simona Halep in the closely fought final of the China Open on Sunday.
Garcia is in the form of her life and edged out the Romanian second seed 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to add the China Open to the Wuhan Open title she lifted last weekend, making it five WTA crowns in all.
Ranked 15 in the world, Garcia’s feat was all the more remarkable because she was carrying a leg injury that has required frequent on-court treatment and completed a mammoth three-set quarter-final win well past midnight on Friday evening.