Simona Halep''s second comeback attempt was cut short by retirement in Paris, even though she was leading in the match.
The Romanian's first comeback attempt happened weeks ago at the Miami Open, where she accepted a wild card. She faced Paula Badosa in her first match but lost in three sets despite winning the opening set.
It was a solid display by a player who had been out of competition for over a year, but she also suffered a shoulder problem, which is still bothering her. The former world no. 1 then planned to play at a few smaller events but also made another withdrawal because of the injury.
She wanted to give herself more time to prepare and nurse the shoulder back to health. Her second comeback attempt happened at the WTA 125K event in Paris, but it didn't last long.
She faced a young and up-and-coming player in McCartney Kessler and actually outplayed her to start the match. The Romanian won the opening set 7-5 as she once again demonstrated that she's a natural on clay.
It was a very competitive set, though, and Halep obviously didn't play her best tennis. However, she did well enough to outlast a young player who didn't have much experience playing on such a level.
The second never unfolded fully because Halep was forced to retire midway through. It was 2-3 when the Romanian likely felt that she wouldn't be able to win the match at the cost of the injury and retired.
It's quite possible that the shoulder is the culprit once more, as she also took a medical time out during the match. If that's the case, it's bad news for the rest of her season. She got a wild card for the Morocco Open next week, so her participation is in doubt right now.
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