Bencic completes Rogers Cup fairy tale after Halep retirement

Belinda Bencic completed her fairytale performance at the Rogers Cup by claiming just her second WTA title after Simona Halep succumbed to the heat in Toronto.

Halep conceded the WTA Premier event's final in the third set on Sunday, handing Bencic a 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 3-0 victory.

It capped off an incredible week for Bencic, with the 18-year-old Swiss having stunned world number one Serena Williams in the semi-finals on Saturday - winning 3-6 7-5 6-4 - while she also defeated Ana Ivanovic, Sabine Lisicki, Caroline Wozniacki and Eugenie Bouchard on her way to the decider.

Bencic registered her first WTA title in June at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.

"Even if I lost today it would've been an amazing experience thanks to all of you," Bencic said at the trophy presentation.

With Toronto having been issued with a heat warning for Sunday and Monday, both players had to battle at the Rexall Centre, with the opening five games going against serve.

Halep was the first to hold serve to claim a 4-2 lead and although Bencic reeled off the next three games, a tie-break was needed.

The Romanian second seed jumped out to a 4-1 lead before Bencic responded again to edge ahead and eventually take the tie-break 7-5.

Bencic led 2-0, 4-2 and 5-3 in the second set but Halep responded each time in a set where only four games went the server's way, before the world number three dominated the tie-break.

But after the first two sets had lasted over an hour in the heat, Halep seemed finished in the third set.