Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza continued her excellent summer by defeating World No.1 Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-2 in the Cincinnati semi-finals.
Muguruza got off to the perfect start by breaking the Pliskova serve in the opening game of the match. Many would have expected the World No.1 to come roaring back after a strong tournament to date. The Czech had dropped just one set en route to the semi-finals, against Camila Giorgi. She had comprehensively defeated 8th seed Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals 6-2, 6-4, and looked the favourite with a commanding head-to-head record over Muguruza.
In contrast, Muguruza was forced to battle past Madison Keys and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Muguruza’s power continued to unsettle the top seed and she was rewarded with a second break to end the set and ensure that the Wimbledon champion would serve first in the second set.
Pliskova fought hard to attempt a break in the first game of the second, but Muruguruza survived three break points in a lengthy hold. Muguruza again struggled to hold for 3-2, but then stole the break for 4-2, breaking to 15.
Pliskova struggled to make much of an impact after the break. Muguruza addded some gloss to the score by breaking for a fourth time to end the match. Pliskova saved four match points but failed to save the fifth.
Muguruza will play the winner of the match between the unseeded American Sloane Stephens and the 2nd seed Simona Halep. Muguruza and Halep have surprisingly not met for two years. Halep leads the head-to-head 2-1, but Muguruza won the most recent meeting.
It was Muguruza’s first win since the pair’s first in the opening round of Roland Garros in 2013. Pliskova had won their last six meetings including their two meetings this season without dropping a set.
