Simona Halep waves to the crowd after defeating Petra Kvitova for the 2013 Connecticut Open title.
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Defending champion and world No. 5 Simona Halep has committed to play the New Haven Open at Yale, Aug. 15-23, at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.
Halep had an incredible season in 2013, winning six titles and capturing the WTA's Most Improved Player of the Year award. En route to the 2013 New Haven Open title, she dropped only one set, defeating four-time New Haven Open champion Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals and 2012 New Haven Open champion Petra Kvitova in the final.
The 22-year-old Romanian has also enjoyed plenty of success in 2014. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world – the highest ever for a Romanian female player – captured the title in Doha and reached the semifinals at Indian Wells.
“I’m excited to come back to the New Haven Open and look forward to defending my title,” said Halep. “I have such fond memories of the tournament, and my win there helped build my confidence. I know it will be tough to repeat as champion, but I will do my best, and hope to have great fan support just like last year!”
Ticket packages are now on sale for the 2014 event. Visit www.newhavenopen.com or call 1-855-464-8366 for more information. Also, make sure to join the New Haven Open on Facebook & Twitter for tournament updates, contests and more.