Busta lifts maiden Masters 1000 title, Halep claims Canadian Open
Pablo Carreno Busta celebrates winning the Canadian Open, Montreal, Canada, Aug. 14, 2022. (AFP Photo)


Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta clinched the men's title while Romania's Simona Halep won the women's singles final in the Canadian Open on Sunday.

Busta rallied from a set down to defeat Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Montreal to claim the biggest title of his career.

The unseeded Spaniard jumped for joy when he broke the eighth-seeded Pole to seal the come-from-behind win in front of a packed house.

"Please don't wake me up if I'm dreaming because I'm enjoying this a lot," Carreno Busta said during the trophy ceremony.

The key moment came in the deciding set when Carreno Busta broke for a 2-1 lead after a Hurkacz drop shot failed to clear the net. Hurkacz responded by bouncing his racket off the court in frustration.

The point of the match came in the sixth game of the third set when Carreno Busta raced down a deep lob and hit it over his head to extend the point, which he ultimately won with a leaping backhanded volley at the net.

Simona Halep plays against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the Canadian Open women's singles final, Toronto, Canada, Aug. 14, 2022. (AP Photo)

Halep's third

Halep, in the meantime, picked up her third Canadian Open title after beating Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in Toronto.

The Romanian's shaky serving from her semifinal win the day before carried over at the outset of the final as she produced four double faults and was broken in the opening game.

Halep responded by changing her tactics, drawing the Brazilian into longer rallies to reel off six straight games and sealed the opening set when she blasted a forehand winner, pumping her fist as the supportive crowd roared their approval.

Haddad Maia dominated the second set but got tight in the decider, badly missing a forehand wide to hand Halep a 4-1 lead she would not relinquish.

The two-time Grand Slam champion sealed her ninth WTA 1000 title when Haddad Maia's service return found the net on match point under sunny skies in the Canadian city.