Garbine Muguruza gets a terrific start at Italian Open

Garbine Muguruza in action at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia on Tuesday night

Garbine Muguruza had her eyes on being at her best and came through at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Tuesday night. The ninth seed clobbered in each set between a rain delay giving Sloane Stephens no momentum in a 6-3, 6-3 win on Campo Centrale at Foro Italico. 

The two met for the fourth time with the American carrying the edge over the Spaniard. On clay, Stephens defeated Muguruza at the French Open last year. With that and a better outcome from the US Open than her opponent, the 27-year-old looked to be in good standing in the Italian capital. Muguruza spent a lot of downtime playing tennis on the clay courts in Europe with coach Conchita Martinez. With that being a factor to her dismal exit in New York, the former world number one anticipated her investment on the surface to pay off. 

The 26-year-old served to open the match but a challenge from the American made it necessary to bring up deuce. The hold came on the first break as lightning and thunder made their appearance. Stephens expressed her concern on court but umpire Kader Nouni assured her of notice when it became a threat. She served up a shutout to Muguruza but watched as she answered back with a good hold. 

Muguruza anted up to win the break and pushed Stephens to deuce turning up her aggression level. It all ended well for the ninth seed, gaining the break for a 3-1 lead. The streak increased to three after consolidating the break with her third service hold. Muguruza locked up the double break with such great focus but all of it disappeared in the seventh. Three double faults rocked the Spaniard to her inner core while Stephens added a well-placed winner. Needing something to change, the victory to add a second win to her belt helped the American turn the tables to gain momentum. 

On serve in the eighth, the 27-year placed herself well in the court and dictated her returns for points that eventually led to sitting two games back of the ninth seed. Muguruza saw the finish line just as rain began to fall but her two set points became a play to deuce instead. Stephens countered with a sliced winner for the AD point but couldn’t convert the break. She gave Muguruza two more set points but the Spaniard couldn’t put it away. 

After seven breaks and a fifth set point attempt, the ninth seed got it to rest in 44 minutes. Muguruza committed more unforced errors in the final game (10 in total) but her troubles would take a rest as rain fell on court suspending play. After an hour off the court, the two warmed up to begin the second set with Stephens opening service. 

Muguruza attacked her well enough to get the break and attempt to consolidate in the second. Stephens answered with a counter return strategy that pressured the Spaniard to deuce. Key mistakes by the American caused her to scream out in frustration as Muguruza held for a 2-0 jump. An important hold for Stephens got her on the board with the hope that she could build upon it. A break wasn’t in the cards for the American as the ninth seed went up 3-1. 

Muguruza and her opponent remained on serve through the next three games with Stephens matching a serve to love from the sixth. She was again two games down as Muguruza held an important game to go for a shot at breaking Stephens for the win. The American got on the board in the ninth, but let the control get away from her. The ninth seed marched with a three-point streak to have match point where she fired a stunner winner out of Stephens reach to end the night in 1 hour and 21 minutes.