HALEP

Yes, seriously.

She may lose in the next round, against 2nd-seeded Plíšková. She may win, too, and get to the final, where she would be favored to win.  That's secondary right now. If anybody ever doubted the strength of Simona Halep's competitive spirit, they are no longer allowed to do so.

Because in an instant-epic French Open quarterfinal, Halep started 0-5 to Elina Svitolina before starting to find her game, but still lost the first set 6-3.  Then she went down 1-5 in the second set, but truly figured something out, and revived her hopes by getting to 6-5 and had three break points against Svitolina to even the match.

And lost them all, and another, then the game, sending the second set to a tiebreak.  And in that tiebreak, she was down 2-4, subsequently faced a match point, saved that, and won the tiebreak and the set on a happy net cord.

The mentally-ravaged Svitolina was toast at that point, and Halep dispatched her 6-0 in the third set, sending her, finally, into the semi-final.

But look at what she had to face.  A 1-5 game deficit in the second set.  Battling back, then losing three break points that would have given her the second set.  That's daunting.  Then getting behind in the tiebreak, and even having to face a match point.

All that adversity, and yet she won.

She deserves to win it all now.  She might not.  It's too bad they don't give medals for Quarterfinal Heroism, because if they did, she earned one.