Halep made her way into the Cincinnati final blowing by Sloane Stephens who had to play twice on Friday, visibly lacking the energy for a proper fight with Halep less than 24 hours later.
The second semi-final was a similar story as reigning world #1 Karolina Pliskova had to face a well-rested Garbine Muguruza after playing twice on Friday. Unexpectedly, the Spanish Wimbledon champion took full advantage of the situation, beating Pliskova in straight sets.
Pliskova’s loss means the #1 ranking will be on the line on Sunday, with Simona Halep trailing the top spot by only five points.