Belinda Bencic clinched her first WTA Premier tour title on Sunday evening as she overcame Simona Halep in the 2015 Rogers Cup final, the Romanian retiring with the scores at 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 3-0 in Bencic's favour.
An obscure amount of breaks in the first set eventually brought it to a tiebreak, where Bencic was victorious, but it was the second set where things took a stranger turn as Halep suddenly started to feel under the weather and began to struggle. Yet, she produced some lovely tennis from the baseline to fight hard and take the second set, again on a tiebreak.
The Swiss teenager started the decider well as she raced into a 3-0 lead with a double break, but, after taking that third game, Halep retired from the match to hand Bencic the win.
Momentum swings back and forth but Bencic comes out on top in first set
Halep came into the match as the favourite given her world ranking and superior experience, but her teenage opponent was not to be underestimated, especially after knocking Serena Williams out in the semi-finals. If Halep had forgotten not to do this, she was reminded within the first few minutes of the match when her opponent broke in the first game, on her second break point.
The Romanian stepped up and broke back immediately to get the match back on serve, using her lovely footwork and quick movement to keep the ball in play and make things difficult for her opponent, but Bencic was able to regain her lead as she made it three breaks in three games quickly after.
The breaks continued to come as the score read 3-2 to Bencic with all five games being breaks of serve. The 18-year-old was able to consolidate this with the first hold of the match too, taking a 4-2 lead in the match, despite Halep holding the following game.
Yet, composure was lacking still for both players in terms of their serving, with Bencic struggling to get first serves in and Halep able to return her second serve well to break back and bring the set back to 4-4.
Halep had gained the momentum, winning three games in a row before putting Bencic under the pressure of serving to stay in the set twice whilst the crowd, which contained a large group of Romanian fans, chanted Halep's name. However, the teenager was mature in her play to take the set to a tiebreak.
The Romanian got the first mini-break, emerging victorious from a fantastic rally, but she surrendered a 4-1 lead and gave Bencic a set point at 6-5, one she couldn't save despite it being on her serve as she could only find the net, to give her opponent the lead.
Heat gets to Halep but she powers through to take the match to a decider
Having won the first set, Bencic came out flying in the second, winning her first service game to love before taking Halep to deuce in the second. The Romanian produced a stunning shot down the line to take the advantage on deuce, but she was unable to capitalise on this, letting her opponent break. Still, Bencic could not keep her lead for long, Halep breaking back immediately with some really composed play.
However, the Romanian looked to be struggling physically on the court, whilst she was constantly surrounded by medical staff on the side of it, receiving treatment on two separate areas of her leg before having a series of checks on her body temperature and general well being due to the high temperatures in Toronto, which seemed to be affecting her as well.
Halep trudged over to her baseline following another medical timeout with the set still on serve after five games, and she certainly didn't look herself as she served after this short break, producing a number of sloppy unforced errors to allow Bencic to break and take a 4-2 lead.
Yet, how she was feeling only meant that the world number three was looking to get points done much quicker, with a number of sharp returns and fierce forehands still looking deadly as Bencic neared victory. The Swiss was forced to go to deuce on her serve as a result, but managed to extend the first point here, with Halep's lethargic movements exposed.
Still, the 23-year-old earned herself a break back point courtesy of a double fault and an error from Bencic, one she took.
Halep certainly looked capable of getting back into the set, but, with her looking under the weather even more as the affair progressed, whether she could put up a real fight in a deciding set was another question altogether.
The heat really got to her as she surrendered another break, meaning Bencic now served for the set. However, she again raised her level with a marvellous game from the baseline, with three break back points coming her way and the first being taken.
Bencic seemed to be lacking the composure to close the match out, which was allowing Halep to play some less energetic but powerful tennis to great effect, which earned her a break point at 5-5 as the teenager threw her racquet to the ground out of frustration. The Romanian took this chance, but couldn't serve for the set, as the Swiss forced another tiebreak.
However, it was Halep who continued to dominate here, powering through the exchange to take the set with her third chance to do so.
Halep retirement hands Bencic the title
Bencic had let her levels drop after a blistering start to the second set, with Halep's condition perhaps getting to her, whilst her opponent's desire to get points done quickly was proving to be very effective. Yet, she would fancy her chances in the decider with the Romanian really struggling and sure to find it hard to finish the match, never mind win it.
This was evident from the off, with Bencic breaking in the first game before neatly following this up with a love service game. The way the teenager had regrouped during the break between sets was remarkable, with her earning a double break after only 13 minutes.
Moments later, Halep retired from the match, with her clearly struggling as Bencic began to stroll to victory in the third set. The Romanian put up an incredible fight, especially to take the second set, but she just could not complete the match and handed the Swiss teenager the most significant win of her career so far in strange fashion.
Celebrations were subdued by Bencic, with her perhaps yet to realise what she had achieved because of how she had done it, but she deserved the victory thoroughly based on her performances this week and is certainly one to watch at the US Open later this month.
As for Halep, if the heat is what caused so many problems today, then that will be a worry ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year, as it means she could struggle to compete in New York. However, it could have been a mixture of other things, with her requiring treatment on her leg and having played a lot of tennis this week. Hopefully she is fit and firing for the end of the month, as it is going to be a fantastic two weeks at the US Open.