Garbine Muguruza has started her 2022 season in the same way as she ended her previous one – by winning a match.
The two-time Grand Slam champion edged her way past Russian world No.40 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-1, 7-6 (4), to reach the last eight at the Sydney Tennis Classic. Muguruza is playing in her first tournament since winning the WTA Finals last November. Against Alexandrova, the Spaniard won 70% of her service points and broke her opponent three times.
Although the encounter wasn’t entirely plain-sailing for Muguruza who was forced to fight in the second frame where she was down a break and then had to save five set points to prevent the match going into a decider. Despite the scare, she raced towards the finish line in the tiebreak by winning six out of the first seven points played. She sealed the victory on her fourth match point opportunity with the help of an Alexandrova unforced error.
“I was most pleased that I stood very calmly in the second set when I was, you know, 5-4 down and serving and having all those set points, where you can get a little bit upset,” Muguruza said afterwards.
“So to manage the anxiety, playing the first match of the year and you want to win and you want to start on the right foot.
“The last match was two months ago so it’s been a while.”
This week the 28-year-old is seeking her 11th WTA title and first on Australian soil since 2014. Last year she won three Tour titles within the same season for the first time in her career.
Muguruza will next take on Russia’s Daria Kasatkina who is enjoying a strong start to hear season. After dropping just four games against eighth seed Sofia Kenin in her opening match, Kasatkina defeated Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-4, on Wednesday.
One Jabeur is also through to the quarter-finals after recording her first-ever win over Petra Kvitova. The Tunisian had never won a set against Kvitova in their three previous meetings but managed to prevail 6-4, 6-4. Jabeur came back from a break down in both sets to register her 110th win on the WTA Tour.
“Finally, after so many losses against her,” said Jabeur. “It’s not easy to return those powerful shots, but I’ve been prepared and I really wanted to win. So I went for it.
“I learned from my losses against her, especially the last one in Cincinnati. To be honest, I’m glad that the court wasn’t super fast. It kind of helped me a little bit.”
Awaiting Jabeur in the next round will be the dangerous Anette Kontaveit who ended last year by winning four titles within a three-month period. The Estonian dropped just four games during her 6-3, 6-1, win over Romanian player Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Finally, French Open champion Barbora Krejčíková, who is the third seed in the draw, started her campaign by dismissing Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 7-5. She will next player Caroline Garcia who was handed a walkover after Elena Rybakina withdrew from the tournament due to a thigh injury.
