Tennis: Simona Halep admitted to hospital with 'severe dehydration' just hours after Australian Open final defeat

Simona Halep receiving medical attention. Photo / Photosport

Simona Halep was admitted to hospital with 'severe dehydration' just hours after her Australian Open final defeat by Caroline Wozniacki.

The Romanian runner-up was in hospital over-night and was treated for around four hours before being released on Sunday morning, according to reports.

A picture, released by ESPN in the early hours of Sunday, showed Halep lying in her hospital bed with a drip attached to her arm as she recovered.

This comes following her gruelling encounter with Wozniacki in the Melbourne heat on Saturday, in which she lost in three sets.

Medical timeouts were called by both finalists at the Rod Laver Arena on the weekend as Wozniacki held her nerve to win 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and 49 minutes.

Halep, 26, who spent almost 12 hours on court through her first six rounds, struggled in the difficult conditions against Wozniacki due to the blazing heat felt in Melbourne Park.

Simona Halep was hospitalised with severe dehydration just after hours after her loss in the Australian Open final. Photo / Photosport

Halep called a medical timeout at 2-3 in the second set to have her blood pressure taken because she was feeling ill in the 30 degrees temperature.

And after romping home to the second set with renewed purpose as the Dane lost some of her focus, the hard-fought final was then stopped for 10 minutes, under WTA heat rules, allowing for the players to regroup.

The authorities at the Australian Open decided to shut the roof for the men's final between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic on Sunday.

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