Simona Halep defended her Madrid Open title on Saturday, but not without a gutsy fight by Kristina Mladenovic. The Romanian took the crown in an epic 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 battle that lasted 2 hours, 46 minutes.

In the first set, Halep showed a confidence level not seen in some time. She controlled points, establishing superior court position as she moved the Frenchwoman around the court.

Halep appeared to have the match in hand as she continued her solid play early in the second set. And as play advanced, it was clear that Mladenovic was dealing with a back injury. Nevertheless, she battled through the pain as she struck big groundstrokes from the baseline striking an array of winners. She would force a tiebreak where the two competitors battled back and forth. But it was Mladenovic who capitalized on the key points to take the second set.

Halep received a code violation for kicking her racquet in the vicinity of a ball boy as her frustration surfaced. But she refocused in the third set and it appeared as though Mladenovic had expended too much energy in her comeback and had little left to give. Halep would close out the match in style winning the last three games.

Photo Courtesy of Pedro Ros Sogorb

“I feel great that I could defend this title,” said Halep. “I feel that actually, I have the game to win big tournaments. I have just to be consistent mentally. I started pretty bad this year. Now I'm back with the confidence.”

After winning 22 of her last 25 matches on clay, Halep has elevated herself as a favorite in the upcoming French Open. She joined Serena Williams as the second woman to defend their title in Madrid.