Vickery continues her knockout of big stars at BNP Paribas Open

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Garbine Muguruza did not have the skills to get through her opening round match at the BNP Paribas Open Friday night. The hunger to win by American Sachia Vickery gave her a lot to be proud of in a three set win over the third seed 6-2, 5-7 6-1 on Stadium One at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

This was their first meeting with the American getting the opportunity to pull off an early upset in the round of 64. The 22-year-old took down the popular Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets to set up a pivotal match against the world number three. It was the Spaniard’s sixth appearance in the tournament with the hope of besting her quarterfinal finish last year.

Both opened with a hold of serve followed by the first break in the third game. It was the first sign of aggression from the 24-year-old who attacked with the forehand but faced some adversity in the fourth. It was there that Muguruza got the victory to take a 3-1 lead in the set. Vickery managed to hold in the fifth to stay close with the third seed but watched as she answered with a service hold that opened the margin to a pair of games.

She made it 5-2 pressuring Vickery to make mistakes on the returns that set up the 24 year old with a shot at taking a lead in the set. She opened a 40-0 run on the American who could not keep up with the speed of her service that ended things in 37 minutes. Muguruza landed 14 of 20 on the first serve and the second that was working well enough to make it a tough night for the 22-year-old. Vickery’s return game had trouble all around that would make it a challenge for her to dictate going into the second set.

Muguruza was well settled into the match where she opened the set with a break of Vickery in the first. After the hold in the second, she gained a double break of Vickery making the night a breeze for her sitting halfway from the match win. The fourth showed Vickery losing her cool as she battled a 30-shot rally in the game only to find herself struggling. Three breaks went into play until a challenge on a return from Muguruza was challenged by the 22-year-old that saved her from being shutout.

She picked up a second straight victory gaining some control on the return game where she blasted shots to achieve a strengthening of offense to battle the Spaniard. She pulled off the comeback needed in the eighth delivering a beating on Muguruza who saw her night being extended. The American took over the set with another hold to lead 5-4 with the 24-year-old on the ropes. Muguruza struck back with a heavy break that kept her alive with Vickery still in charge. She took a 6-5 lead going for the win with a good forehand hit to end the extended rally.

The 12^th became a critical moment for the two players as deuce came into play at the hands of the 22-year-old who wanted the set more than anything. Every rally turned into a staring match with each getting the better of the other. In the end, after six breaks, four set point attempts, Vickery got it done with an error from Muguruza that set up a deciding third set after 1 hour 42 minutes had elapsed.

Vickery picked up where she left off winning the opening game of the third set that put Muguruza on notice. Not wanting to get back into a hole against the American, the third seed held her ground on serve playing an aggressive style. It was still an uphill fight for her as Vickery was on a mission to get an upset to become reality. She and the Spaniard went at it in the fourth until a key winner by Vickery gave her a 3-1 hold.

The 22 year old non seed delivered a big hit in the fifth pulling off the serve to love with Muguruza’s return falling long of the baseline. The third seed expressed her troubles to Sam Sumyk who came on court during the break to help her remedy the situation. Matt Evans kept Vickery motivated to close things out with just two games to get it finished. A triple break point win for the American set her up to dictate the seventh on her terms. Vickery shaped up two match points that ended the 2 hour and 11 minute bout that ended in a big moment for her young career on the WTA tour.   

With the tournament slowly opening for any name, the young American would look ahead and face Naomi Osaka of Japan in the third round Sunday.