King impressed by 'exceptional' Halep

Long before Simona Halep's demolition job on Serena Williams at the WTA Finals, the Romanian was already winning over another of the game's greats.

In an era when the biggest and most powerful women seem to win all the titles, the pint-sized Halep almost looks like a throwback to another era.

Perhaps that is why she caught the eye of tennis great Billie Jean King, one of the pioneers of the women's professional game.

"I really got interested in her (Halep) about two and a half years ago. I saw her on television in a small tournament someplace. It was on Tennis Channel in the States," King told reporters at the WTA Finals on Thursday.

"I went, 'who is that?' She hits the ball so clean, she's smooth, her serve is getting better and better."

King's instincts were right. Standing just 1.66 metres (5ft 6in) tall, it was not long before others started to notice Halep.

In 2013, the Romanian won her first WTA title. Then her second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. The WTA, in one of its easiest decisions, named her as the tour's most improved player.

At the start of this year, Halep won her first Premier-level event, at Qatar, then made her first grand slam final, at the French Open, and suddenly everyone knew who she was.

"I would consider her an exceptional athlete," said King.

"(Martina) Hingis was in that same category. I think they're both brilliant. The way they think and develop the points."

King, three centimetres (one inch) shorter than Halep, has high hopes for the diminutive right-hander, believing she could be one of the rare players to compete with the bigger, more powerful players dominating the women's game.

That faith was reinforced when she thrashed Williams 6-0, 6-2 on Wednesday.

"I think she's very gifted, and I would consider her an exception," King said.

"She's fun, she's tough. I think she was down, what, seven break points against Serena and she won every single one of them. That's what you look for."

For King, the WTA Finals is an event she takes great pride in. As the founder of the WTA and one of the first advocates for equal prize money for male and female players, the 70-year-old American is blown away by the scale of the $6 million tournament.

"This is what we dreamed about. When there were nine of us in 1970, signed a $1 contract. It was the birth of women's professional tennis," she said.

"I just think it's wonderful they're living the dream. I would love to be their age today and playing in this.

"It's so exciting. It's like your stage if you're an actor or performer."