Halep hauls herself past Riske

After finally getting into her champion’s stride, Halep pronounced herself satisfied with what had been an uneven performance:“Well, it’s always hard at the start of a tournament, and she’s a tough opponent,” she told the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. This was supposed to be her day off but Halep did not mind that she’ll be in action again on Thursday against another American, Taylor Townsend. “I feel strong and this game was really good for me,” she said.