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The Australian Open 2021 is just a week away, and before that, the WTA has planned quite a few tournaments for the players. One of them is the WTA 500 Melbourne 2, which is going on at the moment. World No. 2 Simona Halep got off to a great start at the tournament as she defeated Anastasia Potapova in straight sets in the first round. The final scoreline of the match was 6-4, 6-4.

This was the perfect beginning for Simona Halep. First, she defeated World No. 1, Ashleigh Barty, in an exhibition in Adelaide, and now she won her first match at the WTA Melbourne 2. In the post-match interview, she spoke about whether she found the courts a little faster in Melbourne.

“Yeah, it’s a little bit faster, I felt it,” began Halep. “But all this stuff against big hitters, so all the courts feel like faster when you play against them. But it was a nice atmosphere.”

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Experts have recently claimed that the courts are a little faster this year in Melbourne. Halep clearly felt the same in her first match in Melbourne and said as much in the interview.

Read More: Who is Simona Halep’s boyfriend Toni Iuruc?

“It’s nice to see some people back”- Simona Halep

Although Melbourne 2 is not a big tournament, there were still a lot of fans present to support the World No. 2 player during her match. Halep thanked them all for coming and admitted that she had missed the crowd last year.

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“It’s really nice to see people cheering for us. So, thank you, everyone, for coming. I missed the crowd last year and it’s nice to see some people back,” added the 2-time Grand Slam winner.

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Fans will surely be a big advantage for Halep, and she’ll be quite happy with the management’s recent announcement of allowing around 30,000 spectators each day during the upcoming Grand Slam.

After this, Halep will move to the Australian Open 2021 where she’ll start as the second-seeded player. Will Halep be able to win her maiden Australian Open title in Melbourne this year?

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Also Read: Simona Halep sends out an ominous message to rivals ahead of the Australian Open 2021