Julia Goerges couldn’t get a hold down on her opponent at the Italian Open Thursday. The German had a fight on her hands against Garbine Muguruza who made a solid comeback in straight sets to win 7-5, 6-4 at Next Gen Arena on the grounds of Foro Italico in Rome. The world number seven had a better output of staying tight at times and showed fight even when down on the score.
This was just a second meeting between the two Euro stars of tennis and one that the Spaniard hoped to win. She lost to the German back in 2012 on clay but has more than improved since then. The question of consistency has been in the spotlight of Muguruza since last winning a title on clay at the French Open last year. Her opening round Wednesday saw her start well and fall thereafter in the next set. It would be an endurance greater than her opponent that helped her get out of trouble in the third set. Facing a higher ranked opponent still kept her journey one with obstacles if her game couldn’t hold firm. The 28-year-old has been solid so far in her two matches and would do everything to keep herself going.
The set began with the German taking point on serve and went neck and neck with Muguruza going forward. Game after game went by with both feeling one another out while still looking for chances to break the serve of their opponent. The next several games resulted in holds of serve that gave an outlook of a fight to the brink of the set. When the time came for a step closer to the set, Goerges was first to act keeping Muguruza back in the game before capturing the game point. It allowed her to change the pace of the game and get out front in the match.
Muguruza didn’t allow her that moment and still kept her end on serve tight to produce a push of the set to possibly needing a tiebreaker to decide the leader. The time for a break chance arrived for the Spaniard who jumped out to 40-0 but couldn’t lock down the win. Goerges showed her strengths to win two points but committed an unforced error into the net giving up the first break and leverage for Muguruza to serve for the set.
It was a tough outing for the world number seven on serve having to play through three breaks on deuce before getting the win and a sizable lead after 60 minutes of play. Aside from the last two games, both players had their games under control with no end in sight of running side by side through the remainder of the match.
Goerges didn’t see things that way as she opened with a service hold followed by a well-deserved break after fighting for it on deuce. It turned into a 3-0 runaway for her that put a look of concern in Muguruza’s camp to regroup fast. That was the order of the moment for the high ranked Spaniard as she climbed back to take a game but still found herself in a hole. The 23-year-old got the margin down to a pair hoping to counteract the pace Goerges had going and turn the game around.
That was the case in the seventh as Muguruza tore herself into a dead tie at four all with Goerges before overtaking the German 5-4. The ball was in her hands for the tenth and she didn’t disappoint herself or the fans cheering her on to win after 1 hour and 47 minutes. Despite having a tough time with the second serve, her main focus to attack on offense kept her together in order to advance to the quarterfinals Friday where she’ll face Venus Williams.
No comments:
Post a Comment