Belinda Bencic fights off Gauff to enter Adelaide International final

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Cori Gauff gave it every effort to make the final of a tournament but was cut short at the Adelaide International Friday night. Belinda Bencic had to fight off the teen through three sets to win 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-2 on center court at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. It secured the second seed into her 11th WTA final and her first since 2018.

This was the first time the two stars met and the first WTA 500 semifinal for the American teenager. Despite having played four full matches since being in qualifications, Gauff’s never say die attitude put her in a terrific spot. Bencic was in her third match of the tournament, playing just four sets on her way to a possible final, a first for the Swiss since 2019. Having yet dropped a set, the second seed tried to become the first player to hold back the surging teenager. 

Bencic took advantage early on some early struggles from Gauff on serve but soon found her fight back to force deuce. Having recovered every breakpoint, the 16-year-old clinched the first AD point to hold serve. She then caught a break, taking the second on Bencic’s errors on the forehand serve. Gauff consolidated that with a stunning 3-0 lead on the second seed, taking a surprising dictation early on. 

Bencic avoided the deficit from getting any deeper, holding an important service in the fourth. Hoping to get another win under her belt, Gauff denied the Swiss star the opportunity. The American let her opponent, who was steaming with frustration make the mistakes herself to hand the teen a 4-1 hold. In her attempt to keep in touch with Gauff, Bencic etched out another key service hold, cutting the margin in half.

She dug into the seventh as soon as Gauff erred on serve, edging the American at 30-all to produce a breakpoint and seal the win. Bencic battled once more on serve, keeping the 16-year-old from threatening on deuce, winning the first AD point. With the score even after eight games and Bencic finding her groove, Gauff shut down the Swiss come back to take the 5-4 stance. 

Bencic knew that holding serve would not only extend the set but leave with opportunities to regroup against Gauff. Holding the American to just one point made it possible to do just that, but the 11th didn’t go her way as the teen held serve. Knowing that she had to keep it going, Bencic sealed the 12th with an ace down the T, forcing a first-set tiebreak. Bencic opened to a 3-0 lead before giving Gauff two points. 

She returned to serve on the sixth point, doubling her lead over the American and increasing further. The double mini-break gave the second seed a sigh of relief, closing out the first in 56 minutes having come back from 1-4 down. Bencic managed her game well despite having too many double faults in the opening set. 

It didn’t help that she produced three more during her opening service of the second set, gifting breakpoints to Gauff. Despite the deficit, the second seed rallied back to force deuce, denied another break chance, and held soon thereafter. Bencic consolidated the hold with a break of the teenager, gaining important morale while her opponent fatigued out on the court. 

The second seed took a commanding 3-0 run in just ten minutes, showing a real change of control. Gauff put a stop to her slide, holding an important game in the fourth. Bencic effectively took care of another service game, denying Gauff any leverage to produce a break of serve. She answered back in the sixth with a big service hold that went to deuce but ended with the teen smashing the winner after two breaks. 

Gauff was back in contention as Bencic blew up her service with a double fault in the seventh, giving the American a chance to level back like her opponent did. The second seed knew she couldn’t let that happen and dug in for anything Gauff served at her. Forcing deuce was the order for the 23-year-old, who played every point until a rally had her at an advantage, winning the eighth on an awkward smash. 

Leading 5-3, Bencic served for the match finding the right angle to get that bested Gauff. A bad beat for the young American came when a shot return hit the top of the net but fell back into her end. She responded with a well-placed winner down the right tramline and another to earn breakpoint. Gauff erred to force deuce, playing the point too deep. A bad return gave Bencic a match point, but the teen killed it with a net-front smashed winner. Bencic forced the error on the second break before blowing the game on a shot with too much speed. 

The tenth was a key point for Bencic who at one point had the match won on an error from Gauff during an AD point. The umpire called deuce which incensed the second seed to argue the point. Because it was too close to call, the point was replayed and, in the end, Gauff went on to take the win. Bencic knuckled down to regain the lead 6-5 fighting well on serve. Gauff did just the same thing in the 12th to force another tiebreak that either forced a decider to end on it. 

This time it was the American up 3-0, earning mini breaks on the 23-year-old. Bencic got into it after four missed points and added another two. The drop shots from Gauff caused damage to the Swiss star who overplayed another one on the return. She got within reach for a moment, but the 16-year-old went on to take the next two points, securing another three-set match that took one hour and nine minutes to get to. 

After blowing her chance at ending it early, Bencic went on the offensive against the teen, who was into her 13th hour of tennis this week. To make a statement, the 23-year-old scored her first break to love of Gauff and backed it up with a hold in the second. She watched the teen make her mark in the deciding set but took over in the fourth before scoring another break. With the 4-1 lead and comfortable momentum, Bencic went on to dictate another service game leading 5-1. 

The American had one last chance to make a comeback on serve in the seventh, play every point possible. She earned the hold of serve but was still three games from threatening Bencic. The Swiss had the close the teen down quickly and in the eighth, the second seed succeeded. Despite it taking her 2 hours and 46 minutes, Bencic earned match points to end it on a winner.

"I'm super relieved," Bencic said after the match. "I tried to fight as best as I can and I have huge respect for Cori Gauff. She's a huge fight and at this age, it's really impressive and she gave me a hard time. At times I really didn't know what to do anymore but I'm really happy I'm through to the final." She'll go into Saturday's match against reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek in her quest to win her first WTA title since Toronto in 2015.

Belinda Bencic advances after quieting Storm Sanders in straight sets

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Belinda Bencic once again had to battle in the late stages of her match but came through to advance at the Adelaide International Thursday night. The Swiss star overcame the adversity of Storm Sanders, who stood as Australia’s last hope but fell 6-2, 6-4 on centre court at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. 

The Aussie had a lot on her shoulders after the exit of world number one Ashleigh Barty but appeared to carry it well. Her win over Yulia Putintseva said a lot about her willingness to dig in and earn victories during a match. Though she never met Bencic before, she had her biggest obstacle of the tournament in the Swiss who just got her journey started. The 23-year-old opened her entry to Adelaide taking down Misaki Doi in straight sets. Despite having some troubles late in that match, the second seed had to be prepared to keep Sanders back or struggle through a long battle against the qualifier. 

The 26-year old put together a decent hold to open the match but soon faced the power from Bencic. The second seed scored a serve to love before making it very difficult for Sanders in the third. It was the longest game played with the Australian qualifier coming back from 30-40 down. She and Bencic fought hard for the AD point six times with her getting the last laugh after playing off the fourth breakpoint. 

Sanders attempted to make it tough for the second seed but failed to hold her off, losing break point chances. Bencic made her pay for it in the fifth as Sanders suffered the first break of the set. She tried to break back and get even, but the Swiss star had other plans. The second seed fought back Sanders on deuce to hold her end and double the lead. 

Having found her momentum and dictation of Sanders, Bencic overcame a bad service game in the eighth to force deuce. The second seed dug in and waited for Sanders to make the errors that soon handed her the set after 46 minutes. Despite having two double faults that could have let Sanders well into the set, her four aces that worked their magic, helped the second seed sit in the position she wanted. 

It got better for her as Bencic broke Sanders and soon worked on consolidating the early break. The 23-year-old capped the second with a serve to love, scoring it on a shot popping off the top of the net and into Sander’s side of the court. The Aussie qualifier paused Bencic’s dominance in the third with a service hold but watched as the second seed had her game under control. Just when you thought Bencic would coast along with victories, Sanders made her statement stand out. 

The Aussie held back the second seed to hold the fifth and broke her opponent with a late surge that evened things up. The seventh had Sanders vying for control as she won seven of the last ten points. Bencic battled hard to get to 30-all before producing a breakpoint. A final volley helped her secure the break back, serving for a chance to widen the gap back. Sanders refused to make it easy for the Swiss star, playing every point to force deuce. Despite her best efforts, a bad error gave Bencic the victory that set her up for a shot at the match. 

With new balls, Sanders served to stay alive in the match, scoring a winner to get the ninth started. She continued to lead Bencic until a winner that came with some controversy frustrated the Swiss. As Sanders scored on a line drive winner, Bencic was upset that someone in the stands called out something, taking her response away. Despite the loss, she earned the shot at serving out the match on serve. 

Errors forced the second seed to trail Sanders before coming back on two free points due to errors. An ace silenced the Australian support that gave Bencic a match point before a seven-shot rally ended with Sanders slicing an error that ended the night in 1 hour and 32 minutes.

"All the credit to Storm," Bencic said during her con court interview. "She played amazing and I knew she was going to be an uncomfortable opponent of course being a lefty and I hard time getting used to how she plays." With another out of the way, she'll take on the 16-year-old American Cori Gauff. "She's a great player, and it's gonna be a very good match. She has a lot of great results for how young she is so it will be a cool experience."

Belinda Bencic wins strong at Adelaide International beating Misaki Doi in straight sets

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Belinda Bencic dug in with her experience to come through at the Adelaide International Wednesday. The Swiss star had an overall positive outcome against Misaki Doi, who showed resilience but went down 6-1, 6-3 on center court at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. 

The two met back in 2015 where Bencic and Doi went three sets at the US Open. The 12th seeded Swiss star got into pressure against the Japanese player but held up well in the deciding set. The world number 12 didn’t get a lot of time to prep for the Australian Open and went down in the third round against Elise Mertens. With time to regroup her skills, the 23 year old eyed making good on her first-round bye and fight for a spot in the quarterfinals. 

She opened the match with a break of Doi, forcing deuce, and took control of the finish. Bencic backed it up with a hold of serve for the early gap on the 29 year old. Doi put too much on her return shots to Bencic, handing the second seed with a double break. Doi knew that she had to get on the board, doing so with a break back over Bencic. In return, the second seed returned to her three-game lead with a triple break in the fifth. 

The 23 year old took care of business, holding the Japanese star back to serve it out. Gaining two set points, Bencic put the first away with a crosscourt winner ending things in 26 minutes. The second seed’s return game was in better shape than Doi’s, scoring on 17 of 23 and four of four converted breakpoints. 

With fierce momentum, Bencic opened the second battling Doi, who gained a breakpoint chance, but blew the breakpoint. After forcing deuce, the second seed produced AD point attempts to hold the first. She made Doi pay for it with a swift break, allowing the Japanese player a single point in the second. Bencic consolidated with a hold in the third, widening the gap once more. The 29 year old got on the board once more in the fourth, but the second seed answered with a hold in the fifth. 

Sitting two games from the match win, Bencic pressed Doi to err in the fifth, giving up the break to love. The second seed earned the ball to serve out her day on the court but fell behind with errors of her own. Doi had a break to love but then gave up two to Bencic. With one left, Doi let a ball get away from her, landing long of the baseline near Bencic. It brought the second seed to deuce where the window to gain the victory was open. Doi dug into a rally where Bencic smashed one back into the net, killing her shot at ending it. 

The Swiss star brushed off her second defeat by Doi, playing every point while returning. It didn’t produce the result she wanted, handing the 29 year old another victory. With a second chance to close it out, the second seed ran Doi all over for the first point and conducted a winner for the second. In her attempt to go for an ace, Bencic committed a double fault but earned two match points on an error from Doi. 

The Swiss blew her first attempt into the net, and the second with another double fault. The Japanese star could smell a fourth win on the second seed, scoring a chance with the AD point. The ball landed long for Doi, bringing Bencic back to deuce only to notch her third double fault. Doi failed to clinch the AD point, giving the Swiss one more shot. A nicely placed winner handed Bencic a third match point. A hit down the middle went awry for the 29 year old, who blew it into the net, ending 1 hour and 11 minutes. 

“I felt really good on the court,” Bencic said after the match. “I really like playing on this court and I’m really happy that I won.” The second seed had 25 winners but let the unforced errors get away from her. With a move into the last eight, she’ll await her next opponent and move forward.

Jessica Pegula continues Cinderella run in three set upset of Svitolina

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Jessica Pegula kept the butterflies back to win once more at the Australian Open Monday. The unseeded American had the fight of her tournament against fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina, who was trying to get back to the quarterfinals but blew her control in a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 match at Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. 

As the second week was on the line for the American and Ukrainian, both were on a collision course to make it difficult for each other. Svitolina eyed a third trip to the last eight while Pegula ran a Cinderella run in her second appearance. The American took down the top stars in tennis from former world number one Victoria Azarenka to Aussie favorite Samantha Stosur. 

Kristina Mladenovic was no chance for the unseeded American, earning just three wins in straight sets. The fifth had also yet to top a set, and with their one and only meeting coming at the start of the season in Abu Dhabi going her way, Svitolina hoped that she would finish with a similar result. 

The players held well through four games with Svitolina driving her point across the court and Pegula with her strong ball striking. The fifth game was the first sign of real competition when Svitolina dropped a couple of points, forcing her to get to deuce. After two breaks, the Ukrainian got an ace that helped her hold. Pegula made her moment stick as she gained leverage on the fifth seed, holding her own in the sixth, and breaking Svitolina in the seventh. 

Net front shots were coming up big for the American winning eight of the last nine attempts. On serve, Pegula comfortably took a 5-3 lead, ending the game with a smash. Svitolina knew that being behind the American was no good and tried inching back within reach. The Ukrainian notched her third ace down the T but forced deuce on a bad slice. Pegula opened the door, giving Svitolina an AD point where the fifth seed clutched up, scoring the win on a slicer that hit the sideline. 

It meant that the American had to serve for the set and in the tenth, did so with two set points to defeat Svitolina in 38 minutes. The net points really came through for Pegula, winning 10 of 11. Knowing that something different had to occur, Svitolina opened the second set with a break of Pegula. The American broke back, responding with the notion that she was going to drive her opponent apart. 

The third was an important point for Svitolina as she defended her end well on deuce, containing the AD points before holding it. Pegula dropped some of her form in the fourth where Svitolina gained break points before an error scored her a 3-1 lead. Another hold had the momentum well in the fifth seed’s hands, sitting two games from pushing to a deciding set. Pegula started a regroup on serve in the sixth, where she built up energy to hold off Svitolina for a time. 

The Ukrainian served up a lot of errors for Pegula, who was affected by the mistakes, giving her a shot at the set in the eighth. Pegula denied the Ukrainian a break to end the second, making her earn it on serve herself. Svitolina battled with some trouble on serve in the ninth, giving up points before she reached the set point. It took her five shots to see that after 40 minutes, a window was open to win the match. Pegula had 18 errors in total, making it a huge shift away from her and to the fifth seed. 

Hoping to make a difference in her quest, the American held firm in the final set with Svitolina following along. Pegula got back into the net-front shots, securing the third before giving Svitolina a bigger hole to dig out of. Responding well on the rallies, the American came through with a break to consolidate. Pegula earned breakpoints in the fifth until she ran Svitolina all over the court before redirecting the shot that made it 4-1. 

Svitolina rallied back in the sixth with a serve to love in the sixth game, breaking the American to run the score. The fifth seed broke Pegula, who took some risky shots and double-faulted bringing her within one. Having won two games in a row, Svitolina knew that she couldn’t give anything to the unseeded star. Pegula gained three break points but was forced to make errors from the forehand. It was soon a saving point for the fifth seed, who got to deuce, but faced a drop shot that she couldn’t track down. 

Pegula’s fourth break attempt came through on a long ball from Svitolina, setting up the American for a service for the match. The tension was high for New York native, who erred on two points but regained lost ground. A drop shot move worked out for her to bring up match point where Svitolina erred for the last time down under, ending her week in 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Naomi Osaka pressures Muguruza into submission in three sets

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Garbine Muguruza found her match, and it was the one to take her out of the Australian Open Sunday. Naomi Osaka stayed tight with the Spaniard despite problems through three sets. Despite missed opportunities, she managed to pressure the 14th seed to falter 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 at Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. 

Two of tennis’s biggest stars met up for the first time in their careers to determine who would make the second week of competition. Both had yet to drop a set in their towards one another. Muguruza’s height and powerful forehand allowed her to dominate in nine of the last 11 matches played on the blue courts in Melbourne. 

With her recent win against Zarina Diyas that lasted 14 games with the Kazak winning just two, the Spaniard knew that tactics wouldn’t fly with the Japanese powerhouse. Osaka held herself well against Caroline Garcia, allowing her five games in total. With so much on the line for both, the superstars would clash till one came through with a spot in the last eight. 

The third seed fired away on the first ball, giving Muguruza a point before closing out the service game. She consolidated a break of the Spaniard for the early jump on the score. The 14th seed answered with a break back followed by a strong hold of serve in the fourth. Osaka got back on serve with a big push in the fifth, scoring the service to love. As they continued to feel one another out, Muguruza followed suit with the service hold in the sixth. 

Osaka scored another serve to love, indicating that there was little wrong on her end. Muguruza stayed with the former world number one until a chance in the ninth came to fruition. The 14th seed took advantage of getting ahead in the ninth, turning the tide to break Osaka. With the service in hand for the set, Muguruza locked her offense in giving up just one point before closing the first in 31 minutes. Winning points at the baseline and limiting the number of unforced errors got her into position to try and break her opponent in the second. 

Muguruza moved well against the serves of Osaka, who had trouble getting more points from her first serve. The Spaniard fired a serve to love in the second but couldn’t make it a third. The 23-year-old responded back with a shutout of the 14th seed, hoping to build upon her strike. Muguruza helped with a double fault in the fourth, suffering a break of serve in the process. A hold in the fifth gave the third seed another boost of momentum and the lead. 

It wasn’t a safe one as last year’s finalist made it difficult for the 23-year-old, leveling the score at three-all, ending the slide. The next two games saw them deadlocked when an important hold for Osaka, who fired an ace at Muguruza took the penultimate 5-4 lead. Eyeing a chance to force a final set in the tenth, the two got to deuce on a long ball return from the third seed. When Muguruza failed to capture a shot at taking the game, the Japanese star locked it down with difficult serves taking the second in 33 minutes. 

Osaka carried the momentum into the third, holding well in the first where she notched her eighth ace of the match. Muguruza didn’t let that faze her, scoring her third serve to love on the 2019 champion. They maintained service through four games until the fifth when Osaka got frustrated with her service, slamming the racket in response before losing the game. It got worse for the 23-year-old, who ran for every ball before one return fell long of the baseline. She came back from 0-30 to force deuce, but couldn’t convert the key breakpoint to get back on track. Muguruza was up two games until a must hold game from Osaka got her back within reach of level pegging the set. 

Muguruza got into a pressure point as errors produced a breakpoint for the third seed. She answered it with a crosscourt ace to force deuce before gaining the AD point. With a shot at the match, Osaka denied her match point and then killed off the second to force deuce on serve. A strong offense got her through the ninth, holding serve, with Muguruza pressured to do it herself. 

It was just where Osaka wanted her, taking control of the tenth growing break points before losing them on unforced errors. The 23-year-old found another one on a well-painted shot, breaking Muguruza with a well-placed crosscourt. The two took things into the 11th where Osaka opened up a 40-0 run, lost two points but held serve. The 14th seed felt the pressure once more in the 12th as she served to force a tiebreak. 

Muguruza made a critical mistake that gave Osaka a jump on points. A huge miss fire gave the Japanese star three match points where the last rally ended on a long return from Muguruza killing her tournament dominance in 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Elina Svitolina rushes to victory against Yulia Putintseva at the Australian Open

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Elina Svitolina had the strongest victory of her run at the Australian Open Saturday. Her match with Yulia Putintseva was a tight one at first and ended with one-way traffic winning 6-4, 6-0 on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. It marked the third time the fifth seed made the fourth round and the first since 2019. 

The two met for the fifth match, with Svitolina completely holding the series lead against the Kazak. They haven’t met one another in two years, and this one marked six years since their first at Melbourne Park. The world number five broke the heart of Coco Gauff, taking her down in straight sets two nights ago. She had yet to drop a set, unlike her opponent who had a tough journey through the tournament. Wins over Sloane Stephens and Alison van Uytvanck both went three sets, giving her plenty of action on the court. With the fight to take Svitolina into a third one, she’ll have to find it in her to take control and wreak havoc. 

The fifth seed came out stumbling on serve in the first, handing free points to Putintseva bringing her to deuce. Two more errors gave the 26th seed the opening break and an unusual feeling for Svitolina. Putintseva fired away, scoring an angled backhanded winner that consolidated for the two-game buffer. The Ukrainian committed her first double fault in the third but recovered to hold service. 

She consolidated with a break back and took a third straight game from Putintseva. The Kazak followed with a hold to level, adding a break to take the lead back. The third point of the fifth game went 40 shots, with Putintseva suffering the loss with a high volley that landed long of the baseline. Svitolina ended up taking the game for a second broken game before upping her offense to score a serve to love. 

With the 5-4 lead, the fifth seed tried going for the break to get out of a tight set. Putintseva wanted to hold against the Ukrainian, but a second double fault in the game produced another set point for her. It was all over on another long rally that ended with Putintseva smashing a shot straight into the net, smashing her racket down to the ground. They went 24 shots on that one with Svitolina getting out of a jam in 47 minutes. Both had close stats with the winners to unforced errors making it an even output. 

Svitolina knew the mistakes she committed and turned things around with a terrific hold to open the second set. Putintseva struggled to contain a defense on Svitolina, who closed in to force deuce in the second. She produced two breakpoints, taking it on a line drive winner for the 2-0 stand. The 26th seed built together with a good game in the third, having plenty of space to work her shots. 

Svitolina denied her a breakpoint opportunity but continued to battle the Kazak back. After four breaks and another AD point for the fifth seed, Svitolina took it with a winner down the line, notching six games in a row. Putintseva expressed her frustration, as her lead in the fourth on serve was blown on a long ball error. She flopped the game entirely with a double fault, putting the Ukrainian two games from the match. 

The Kazak, went for a different racket, hoping that could make a huge change in momentum. Errors on the returns caused her to drop the racket again, being worn down with another ball hit into the net. Svitolina just went along for the ride when suddenly Putintseva rallied back to deuce. A drop shot attempt from the Kazak didn’t go well as the fifth seed got to it in time, gaining the AD point. An angled shot from Putintseva landed long, putting her on the hot seat to serve a victory of fall flat on the day. 

She did indeed fall down as the Kazak, gifted the sixth game, double-faulting to clinch match point for Svitolina to end things in 1 hour and 23 minutes. “I’m very happy with the performance today,” said Svitolina after the match. “Happy the way I could come back in the first set and then trying to find my game and in the end, I was pleased with the performance.” “I knew Yulia for a long time,” said the fifth seed. “We used to play when we were kids so I know her from a young age and always expected a fight.”

Garbine Muguruza leaves Zarina Diyas in the dust with lightning quick finish.

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Garbine Muguruza was once again dominant at the Australian Open to get into the round of 16 Friday. Last year’s finalist rolled Zarina Diyas, who didn’t have tools to threaten in a 6-1, 6-1 loss on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. The Spaniard had a clean match and full positivity with the forehand, making it one-way traffic. 

The two met for the first time over a year ago with their quarterfinal going deep. The Kazak took Muguruza through the wringer in the second set, building up a lot of momentum. The Spaniard managed to edge her late in the final set to move on and get a leg up. Muguruza had yet to drop a set, but she knew that Diyas could potentially threaten her once more as she reached the third round for the fourth time in her career. With the round of 16 just one match away, the world number 83 would try to lighten the 14th seed and cause trouble on the court. 

Diyas opened the match with a good service game, allowing Muguruza just one point. As the Spaniard served for the second, she rushed things so fast to the tone of a shutout. The 14th seed got into another gear, breaking Diyas to love, and defended on serve in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Diyas started the fifth with a good backhand but her main strike from the forehand produced errors and points for the former world number one. 

A line drive landed inside the tramlines, forcing deuce for the Kazak, who had an opportunity to save her service game. Muguruza didn’t let her get that as she handled the second serve, widening the gap. After 17 minutes, the reigning finalist from last season dropped control early in the sixth before climbing back to force deuce. She delivered a smash that Diyas swung and missed on. She took the game on a line drive that painted the baseline, putting the Kazak on notice of a pending conclusion to the set. 

Muguruza was all over the ball through every point, earning herself three set points. She blew one of them into the net and got it done in 26 minutes with Diyas returning into the net. The Spaniard had 10 winners to the Kazak’s one, doubling her points win in the process. 

Muguruza opened the second with her continuation of dominance over Diyas. Allowing just one point, the Spaniard comfortably stepped to the reception end of the second adding another break of Diyas. It was 3-0 for the 14th seed as marched along, awaiting anything her opponent put together. The Kazak put an end to Muguruza’s nine-game winning streak, securing her second service game of the match. 

She nearly took advantage of the fifth but a lob rally didn’t go her way on two occasions on deuce. Diyas was quickly 5-1 down as Muguruza rallied to another break to love, serving for a spot in the fourth round. Diyas struck out the first point but handed one back to the Spaniard with an error to the net. she suddenly caught a break, scoring on a great drop shot. On breakpoint, the players rallied through 29 shots until a crosscourt slice gave Muguruza deuce. A forced error brought up a match point for the Spaniard, who took the victory in 56 minutes. 

“I felt good out here,” Muguruza said during her on-court interview. “We played a year ago and it was a very tough match, so I’m happy that today I played a little bit smarter than last time and I could win in two sets.”

Elina Svitolina melts Coco Gauff out of Australian Open

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Cori Gauff put up a great fight but broke down in key moments at the Australian Open. Elina Svitolina bided her time, waiting for the American to falter in her straight-sets win at Rod Laver Arena winning 6-4, 6-3 in night action at Melbourne Park. 

This marked a key moment for the favored players to have met for the first time. The fifth seed had yet to experience the type of game the young American had. With an opening-round win over Jill Teichmann, the teen put herself in place to show the Ukrainian her skills that took down last year’s champion: Naomi Osaka. Marie Bouzkova put up quite a finish in her straight-set loss to the world number five two days ago. With some consistency issues, it would be up to Gauff to play every point and wait for her time to strike and take control. 

They took six minutes to play the opening game, with Gauff comfortable placing herself near the net to force deuce. Svitolina had the last laugh, forcing the teen to err to secure the service game. Gauff sped through her serve, allowing the fifth seed just one point before making it difficult in the third. While she didn’t break, she continued to hold serve with the Ukrainian through four. 

They held through another four games, with each laser-focused on completing the service holds. When it came to the ninth, Svitolina got behind on the score but finished things with an ace to keep Gauff behind. The pressure increased for the teenager, who served to keep the set going but fell behind handing Svitolina breakpoints for the set. The American saved one of them on a low return, but the next went into the net closing the first in 37 minutes. With the last game being the difference-maker for the fifth seed, she had to remain patient and let her opponent slip up big once more. 

Svitolina scored the important hold over Gauff to begin the second as the teen fumbled during a rally committing a bad return on deuce. She recovered with the service hold on Svitolina, getting back to business with containment while holding the balls. The next four games were holds of serve, with the sixth standing out for Gauff, who defended so well from her end keeping Svitolina back from break chances. 

The eighth game was her point at failing to continue holding the Ukrainian back with too much power on the returns. With the key break point of the set, Svitolina served for the match at 5-3 scoring a winner for the opening point. A net-front smash had the teen out of the way to secure a 30-0 hold for the fifth seed. Gauff answered back with a nice crosscourt, but the effort came too late for the 16-year-old. Svitolina reached two match points on a ball returned long by Gauff and broke the heart of the American with a smash that forced the final error of the night. It was a 1 hour and 17 minute victory that brought the Ukrainian back to the third round for the seventh time. 

‘It was a great match from both of us,” said Svitolina during her on-court interview after the match. “It was really high level, and we served terrific today, and then I had a real chance to break and I took it and pleased with the performance today.” 

She’ll take on Yulia Putintseva in the third round to determine who would make the second week of action.

Belinda Bencic battles to victory in three sets at Australian Open

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Belinda Bencic got into another fight for every point at the Australian Open Thursday. Her comeback through three sets with Svetlana Kuznetsova was a show of heart as she came through winning 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. 

The two met for the sixth time, with Kuznetsova earning a stronger victory to begin the Australian Open. In a battle of the veterans with Barbora Strycova, the Russian handled her opponent allowing four wins to the Czech. As she faced the youthful Swiss whom she defeated at Doha last season, the 35-year-old had her opportunity to wreak havoc. Bencic had a rough outing with Lauren Davis, who took her through a run of errors in games until the 11th seed found a way to control the match. With her history of success against Kuznetsova, the 23-year-old hoped to cap another victory. 

Bencic struggled with her opening game, giving Kuznetsova a breakpoint attempt. The Russian erred to negate the AD point that soon led to the 11th seed holding service. The Russian opened to a 40-0 situation until her Swiss counterpart got on the board. She didn’t let that bother her as a terrific forehand winner sealed the second. Winners got Bencic through another hold of service, increasing her offensive strength. 

Through the next four games, Bencic continued to lead the way, adding great court positioning during the seventh, answering well in front of the net to Kuznetsova’s shots. Great serving also came from the 35-year-old, who answered Bencic to level the score each time. As they reached the tenth and Bencic still out front, it became a fight between the two. Kuznetsova held the 11th seed for most of her service game until she forced deuce with a ball landing long in front of Bencic. A second ace brought up an AD point but her next shot fell into the tramlines. 

The Russian notched a third on Bencic before holding her second AD point that pushed the set deep. The Swiss earned free points on Kuznetsova’s errors, bringing her to a 6-5 stand. The 35-year-old had to act with a much-needed win but was trounced by the 11th seed, who broke her to love taking the set in 51 minutes. The Swiss star committed zero double faults in the set, showing that her focus was on point in the shape of 83 percent points won on the first serve. 

When they got into the second, Bencic committed her first double fault, putting her behind Kuznetsova. The Russian had two breakpoints, watching the last one give her the opening lead on a long ball from the 23-year-old. She consolidated the break for a 2-0 lead even while recording a double fault of her own. Bencic added two double faults during her service in the third, losing much of her consistency. 

The Swiss star tried rebuilding the momentum that was all but gone, throwing everything at Kuznetsova on serve in the fourth. Despite getting the game to deuce where they played five breaks and ten minutes, she couldn’t contain the breakpoints. As Kuznetsova inched closer to a set win and both playing the third one, Bencic began to strike back. The 11th seed allowed the Russian just one point before closing the fifth with an end to her opponent’s dominance. 

Kuznetsova answered with a hold in the sixth, with a similar return for the 23-year-old. With another chance to break Bencic, the Swiss star answered with a fight for control, gaining a second victory out of it. Kuznetsova once again served for the set, clinching her way to forcing Bencic to the distance in 45 minutes. 

During the set break, the 11th seed called out the physio to take care of a blister to her right foot. After the medical timeout, play resumed with Bencic serving to open the third set. She battled back Kuznetsova who gained a breakpoint but denied her that to hold on to the first break of deuce. The Swiss consolidated it with a break of the Russian, making it look like a run of control was building up. 

Kuznetsova put an end to that with a break back in the third but was threatened on serve in the fourth. Bencic gave herself chances but critical errors killed her chance to widen the gap. With the score level at two-all, Bencic got back serve fighting to regain the lead in the fifth. A bad double fault gave Kuznetsova the double break with a chance to double the margin on serve. 

Bencic refused to let that happen as the set inched closer to its finish. The 23-year-old scored the break back and served strong in the seventh to regain the lead. The 11th seed fought through every point in the eighth, giving herself breakpoints on Kuznetsova. One got away from her, but not the second as the forehand paid her a fifth win. Serving for the match, Bencic committed her tenth double fault and fifth of the set. She made up for it with a big fight for the next point, earning another after a short rally. 

A winner brought up two match points for Bencic, but Kuznetsova answered with a crosscourt that forced the error. Her second attempt went away on her 11th double fault, bringing up deuce. A third match point was blown on an error that led to Kuznetsova taking the break. As she served to extend the set, Bencic was threatening after being gifted free points. She earned two more match points with one being saved on a Kuznetsova crosscourt winner. The next was the clincher for the 11th seed as Kuznetsova suffered a shot into the net ending a 2 hour and 39-minute fight. 

“We played so many matches against one another,” said Bencic after the match. “We went three sets and it was always so tight so that was what I was expecting and well done to her for a good match.” She’ll go into Saturday facing Elise Mertens of Belgium in the round of 32. “I’ll try to recover until I meet Elise. She’s a great player of course and super consistent so I hope I can play a good match and then I’ll see.”

Muguruza steamrolls into round three with fast straight sets win

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Garbine Muguruza showed a lot of intensity and focus to get through her second-round match at the Australian Open. The 2020 finalist kept well ahead of Ludmilla Samsonova, who couldn’t keep up in a 6-3, 6-1 score at 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. 

After such a quick victory in her opening round match, the 2020 finalist got her chance to make it two in a row against the Russian. Ludmilla made good in her second appearance, getting through a three-set battle with Paula Badosa. The 22-year-old played all the way to tiebreaks in two sets before nearly going a third. It was at the tail end of the match that Ludmilla hung on to control how her day would finish. While that wouldn’t be the case against the 14th seed, she would attempt to rattle the Spaniard at any point in the match. 

A 40-0 start was quite impressive from Samsonova as she held it together through the remainder of the first. Muguruza responded with a lightning-fast serve to love before going in for the attack on the Russian. Though she didn’t get a break from it, the 14th seed followed things up with another service hold, waiting for her time. 

After six games, the Spaniard captured the moment in the seventh, breaking Samsonova for the lead. The 22-year-old continued to fight the former world number one, adding pressure with her quick response returns. Muguruza struck back with big cross courts that broke Samsonova to err twice, giving her a 5-3 lead. The Russian made some strategic points while trying to serve for an extension, but mistakes cost her control which Muguruza took advantage of. The 14th seed had set point in hand, putting the first away in 31 minutes. 

The 27-year old’s serve percentage neared 80 percent through the nine games played, limiting the number of errors despite not having many winners. Samsonova committed almost two dozen errors which killed her chance at beating Muguruza at her own game. 

The Spaniard opened the second with perfect service to love, showing her opponent no let up on the forehand. With a three-game losing streak, the Russian’s response faltered some more, giving Muguruza another victory. Samsonova continued to be tested as she thought she had a win coming to her, with errors from the Spaniard but her own mistakes got in the way. Muguruza’s big serve got her into some trouble in the fifth, handing Samsonova a shot on deuce to break her. They played the longest of the match, lasting seven minutes before a long return from the Russian landed just long of the baseline. 

With a shutout looming over Samsonova, the 22-year-old brought a couple of winners into her fight, just before a smash into the net brought up deuce for the 14th seed. The Spaniard let Samsonova make the errors that brought up match point. Muguruza’s return just fell long, but a second attempt was killed off by an ace. A mistake from the Spaniard killed her control of the point, giving Samsonova a win. 

With service in the seventh game, Muguruza forced an error followed by too much on the ball. The Russian erred twice that leveled the score, just in time for Muguruza to launch an ace. Three was the charm for the 14th seed as she had the victory on a final flop from Samsonova. It was another quick victory for the former world number one who finished this one in one hour and 14 minutes.

Elina Svitolina edges Bouzkova in straight set thriller.

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Elina Svitolina had to fight for everything to open her run at the Australian Open Tuesday. With enough resolve, the fifth-seeded Ukrainian got through a tough one with Marie Bouzkova winning 6-3, 7-6(5) at Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. 

The two were in it for a third time with the embers still hot from their final in Monterrey. Svitolina edged the Czech for the title in three sets that stood as the last official tournament with fans. Since the pause, they both shook off the rust, hoping that their progress so far this season would be in preparation for the year’s first slam. As Svitolina continued to search for her maiden slam win, it was going to be a big task in taking on the 22-year-old who stood in her path. 

Svitolina breezed into her opening service game, holding the Czech to a couple of points. Bouzkova responded with a shutout of the fifth seed, making a point that she would not be going down easily. The Ukrainian answered with a strong hold and tied a break into her widening the gap to 3-1. Svitolina was on cruise control as she served through another game to take a three-game lead on Bouzkova. 

The Czech recorded another victory on serve, giving Svitolina a challenge which she responded by forcing deuce. Bouzkova didn’t let it get past a break, holding the first AD point played. Svitolina didn’t let a second game loss get away from her and went into the seventh with a hold of serve. Bouzkova answered with a shutout of Svitolina on serve in the eighth before trying to add another in the ninth. 

Svitolina quickly had two set points to her name but saw them erased on a return winner from the Czech and an error on her own backhand. Despite playing three breaks, the fifth seed held it together, waiting for her time and scored on a forehand winner ending 44 minutes of play. Svitolina won 73 percent of her games and had three aces recorded so far. Knowing that her success paid off the Ukrainian was ready to dig in some more. 

Svitolina allowed Bouzkova one point in her service game before taking it swiftly for the break. The Czech answered with a break back before taking the lead in the third. The next five games were service holds with Bouzkova staying ahead of the fifth seed. Svitolina’s game was tested to its limit as Bouzkova forced her opponent to deuce. In what became the longest game, they played seven breaks, until the fifth seed found a way to come out on top. 

The 22-year-old was relentless in keeping the lead over Svitolina who at one point got into a 28 shot rally. By the time ten games were in play, Svitolina had the score level with very little room to maneuver. The 11th was another battle for control with Svitolina playing every point like it was her last. Despite producing break point attempts, Svitolina failed to counteract giving Bouzkova the lead once more. 

Svitolina made it her mission to hold it with all her might, giving Bouzkova very little to set up the tiebreak. The fifth seed took the first two points before the Czech got on the board from her serve. After five points, Svitolina was out front but soon made a forehand error into the net that made it three-all. The next pair of points went to each of them as they made their mark with a fierce intensity that they wanted the win. 

Bouzkova committed a bad smash that gave Svitolina a point for 5-4, nailing the right pattern of shots to beat her again. She brought together two match points with one of them saved on a net-front return by Bouzkova. The Ukrainian put the match to rest as they had one last rally lasting 11 shots when the young Czech hit it into the net ending a nail-biting two hours.

"It was a really tough battle today," said Svitolina after the match. "I was really happy that I could get through in two sets because it's really hot out here." "I was fighting very good today and strong mentally and not let the errors change my mind and just trying to fight for every point. I think in the end, the big points I stayed really aggressive and this was the key to win in two sets."

Jessica Pegula outlasts Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open

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Conditions were not good enough for Victoria Azarenka to make a statement at the Australian Open. Having breathing problems during her match with Jessica Pegula resulted in costly mistakes that took her out of the first round 7-5, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. 

The two-time champion down under didn’t finish strong in her warmup bout last week. Though she gave Yulia Putintseva a beating early in their match, the Belorussian couldn’t hold her consistency together until a chance on the tiebreak went her way. In order to prepare for the year’s first slam, Azarenka took a break to prep for her first meeting with Pegula, who earned two out of three at the Yarra Valley Classic. In just her second appearance in the tournament, the 26-year-old kept her hopes high to pull off a serious upset. 

Azarenka fired a serve to love to open the match, setting the bar high for the American to top. Pegula managed to hold her end, but nowhere close to a shutout of a former world number one. Azarenka answered with another quick victory in the third, scoring another serve to love. Pegula stayed in touch, but after five games, she had yet to score a point against Azarenka’s service games. The Belorussian notched a break of Pegula, doubling her lead through six games. 

The seventh game saw Pegula scratch a point for herself against Azarenka’s serve and soon took her to deuce. Despite the threat, the 31-year-old handled the situation and held serve to play for the set. Pegula didn’t want to give up, and in the eighth, she battled the 12th seed to deuce where they went three sets before she successfully held her off. The American wasn’t done in her efforts to extend the set against Azarenka who almost had set points but was denied early. 

They went to deuce, and three breaks later the American had another victory putting her a game down from forcing the set deep. With the break in hand, Pegula served to level and clinched the hold on Azarenka adding pressure when it counted. She made a big move in the 11th, breaking Azarenka with a late rush to deuce and soon the AD point. The American had her opponent figured out and with the late stages of the set remaining, she made a push to go for broke. On serve in the 12th, Pegula opened up to 40-15, holding set points before her next attempt clinched it for her in 52 minutes. 

The second became a test of skills for both Azarenka and Pegula as they held serve through four games. Azarenka waited for her moment to change things up in the set, and by the fifth, she struck back on Pegula to take it 3-2. Before the sixth got into motion, Azarenka called out officials to discuss her needing a moment longer with conditions becoming warmer. Pegula went on to take the game on serve, doubling her margin on the 12th seed who inched closer to being out of the tournament. 

In the seventh, Azarenka was up 40-0 before she went to the corner of the court with problems breathing. The tournament doctor and trainer quickly came to court to help her alleviate the issues. The 12th seed left the court for a medical evaluation, putting Pegula on hold for five minutes. Azarenka returned alone to the court to applause as she grabbed her racket to resume play. Pegula got to deuce with a double fault at 40-30 and soon had the AD point. Azarenka saved that one and a second from Pegula to hold her end despite the issues that came into the competition. 

The Belorussian regrouped nicely in the eighth to break and level the score to keep up the pressure. It didn’t take much away from Pegula as she stepped up to break Azarenka to a point taking a 5-4 lead. With the chance to serve for the match, Pegula didn’t rush the tenth and let her opponent make the errors. The American got to a pair of match points to put away the 12th seed on back to back winners that ended it in 1 hour and 39 minutes.

Belinda Bencics breaks Lauren Davis in three set fight

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It was not an easy day for Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open Tuesday. Having a lot of problems with maintaining a strong offense, the Swiss star had to work hard at 1573 Arena to defeat Lauren Davis 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 at Melbourne Park. Bencic suffered a dozen double faults but nailed down 36 winners that got her out of a rough start. 

The two met for the first time in five years with the Swiss taking down the American in their last battle. After getting a late start to singles action in Australia, the 11th seed went down hard against Sorana Cirstea who had her best foot forward on her way to earning the upset at the Grampians Trophy tournament. With the warm-up round wasted, the Swiss star in her eighth appearance looked to make it three against Davis, who had yet to record a win in not only this season but since March 3 of last year. 

The 11th seed came out rusty from the start with a double fault and errors that handed Davis the break. The second was another fight with Bencic getting lucky with a long ball from the American that brought them to deuce. After three breaks, Bencic secured the victory on the break as double faults increased from Davis’ end. The Swiss star consolidated the break with a win in the third. 

She and Davis were into another long rally that went 25 shots with the score locked at two-all. Davis consolidated the hold of serve with a break of Bencic taking a 3-2 lead with pressure making its mark. Davis got into trouble on her serve, committing another pair of double faults that brought them to deuce once more. Bencic broke back to level things once more, biding her time to dictate. 

Though it took another fight on deuce, the Swiss star waited for her moment to strike, scoring the victory on the second break. Bencic added a break in the eighth to serve for the set with a two-game buffer in place. The 11th seed committed errors from the first service that put her in a tight spot. A save for the Swiss came when Davis blew a breakpoint opportunity to force deuce. 

A winner from Bencic handed her set point which she finished with an ace to conclude 48 minutes. Ten double faults were recorded by both players which beat up their serve percentages that were below 55 percent. With 34 unforced errors combined, both knew that control on the server had to improve to avoid more battles on deuce. 

Davis tried to do that with another 40-0 jump on Bencic but erred three times to force deuce. Despite lost ground, the American served better to hold on through a couple of breaks. She tied a break into her recent success, as Bencic erred during a critical point. She made up for it in the third with a serve to love, executing strong groundstrokes. It became a tug of war for control as each player fought through deuce, making it difficult for either one to gain control. 

After seven games, Davis got back the lead showing that her efforts could pay off by any means. She received a medical timeout to take care of blisters that came on her right foot, indicating the movements she had to make thus far. When play resumed, it was Bencic pushing the American while on serve, bringing the score to four-all. Davis scored her second serve to love of the match, getting the important positioning needed to go for the deciding set. 

Bencic served the tenth but gave up ground with a sixth double fault and errors that resulted in a loss of the set that lasted 54 minutes. Bencic produced too many unforced errors that took away her moment to extend the match and go for the straight-sets win. With that out the window, the American had her moment to be patient and wait for her chance to strike and put together an upset of the 11th seed. 

The first game of the third seed was a long one where it took four breaks before Bencic was the one coming out with the win after 14 minutes. Davis got on the board in the second but the next two games went in favor of the Swiss star who seemed to find her niche. She gained the double break that made it 4-1 for the 11th seed but faltered on Davis’ sudden offensive strength. The 27-year-old had three breakpoints, but let two slip away. 

Once again, they were back to deuce until Bencic scored a smashed winner to achieve the AD point. Davis saved one but not a second as a forehand shot went into the net giving Bencic a big 5-1 stand. Davis tried to get another game under her belt but she lost the momentum to keep up. Despite her best efforts, she double-faulted on her last try, giving Bencic the win that took her 2 hours and 27 minutes to accomplish. The two battled through 195 points and many issues until the 11th seed found her moment to run away with it.

Garbine Muguruza blows through Gasparyan in straight sets

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Garbine Muguruza came into the Australian Open with the same power and destruction that eased her into the second round Tuesday. Margarita Gasparyan couldn’t find her way to sway the scales and suffered a 6-4, 6-0 loss on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. 

Despite losing the final of the Yarra Valley Classic two days ago, the surging strength of Muguruza fell only slightly since then. In her second meeting with Gasparyan, the Russian had another big challenge in front of her. As last year’s finalist, the 14th seed wanted to return back to that stage but knew her history with Gasparyan in their three-set battle two years ago. With that being a spot on her mind, the Spaniard would try to come out with the same ferocity she had this past week. 

Gasparyan made a surprising push that made it 40-0 on Muguruza in the opening game. Despite her effort, the Russian committed a double fault but found a way to hang on to the serve. Muguruza came out firing against the Russian, completing a strong service game in the second. She consolidated it with a hold in the third, bringing together her stride early. Muguruza once again hit her mark for a 3-1 lead, allowing her opponent a single point. Gasparyan ran into trouble in the fifth on serve. Unforced errors were increasing for the Russian, who tried to contain service. 

After three breaks, Gasparyan managed to hold Muguruza back and put away the fifth for her benefit. Breaking the Spaniard was a big statement from the Russian who nailed terrific returns across the court, keeping them away from her long reach. With the set tied at three-all, Gasparyan fought from behind with the hope of gaining a third straight but a final rally put a stop to her momentum. 

With the lead back and new balls in hand, Muguruza came in with the forehand and blasted the ball so quick across court that Gasparyan had no chance of returning it. The Russian soon faced her last chance to extend the set and with winners helping her along, she clinched the ninth and upped the ante on the Spaniard. Muguruza knew how important the tenth was, and despite a true battle from Gasparyan, her efforts paid off with big winners that brought up set point. The 14th seed ended things in 46 minutes. 

As the second got underway, Muguruza showed her strengths in the shape of quick victories over the Russian. She had two games recorded in the first six minutes that proved her rushing the competition was just one way of projecting dominance. In an effort to try and avoid the double break, Gasparyan tried to bring things to deuce but hit one long of the baseline. Muguruza took a 4-0 lead as she coasted along while Gasparyan struggled to dig into the set. 

In the fifth, she did just that taking it to Muguruza, who was forced to deuce. Just when it looked like she would avoid giving up ground, a double fault changed the tide against her. Muguruza gained her second breakpoint and clinched the triple break on a wide return by Gasparyan. She quickly faced elimination as the 14th seed served for the match and a goose egg. Reaching three match points, Muguruza let the first one go long and the second give her the win on a long ball return to complete the second set shutout. 

“The first set was a tough battle and was happy that I could close it at 5-4,” said Muguruza after the match. “In the second set I took the lead a little bit early and I played well with my serve and was more dominating in the second one.” The 14th seed completed it in 1 hour and 13 minutes, proving that she had a fire in her heart to overcome what happened last year.

Garbine Muguruza rushes into Yarra Valley Classic final dispatching Vondrousova

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Garbine Muguruza was a runaway train that couldn’t be stopped at the Yarra Valley Classic Saturday. In her 401st career WTA win, the sixth seed dominated Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-0 on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. 

The two never met before, making it a big moment for the Czech, who had a big obstacle standing in her way. The world number 21 went three sets against last year’s French Open finalist Nadia Podoroska. The Argentine didn’t give Vondrousova an easy move into the final four and neither would Muguruza. In a state of revenge, the Spaniard got her revenge from the Australian Open final last season, beating down Sofia Kenin. With her consistency proving well through three matches and not dropping a set, the 27-year-old would focus her attack on the Czech. 

 Muguruza came out blazing with a serve to love that opened the set, taking less than a minute to do so. Vondrousova battled the Spaniard on serve in the second, but despite her best efforts, she couldn’t contain the power of her opponent. Muguruza continued to hold serve comfortably, before taking it to the Czech. She answered with a strong positioning on the court, reacting well to Muguruza’s return that helped her hold in the fourth. 

The sixth seed didn’t let the short loss of momentum take effect and came through with rage in the fifth, scoring another serve to love. The Spaniard racked up the break of serve in the sixth before serving for the set in the seventh, she notched her third serve to love that completed the first set in 29 minutes with Vondrousova returning the ball into the net. It was her 10th unforced error committed. With only 15 points scored against Muguruza who had 10 winners, the momentum was hard to put the brakes on. 

The 27-year-old broke her to love showing no signs of weakness as she marched on. Vondrousova thought she had a chance in the second with a sign of a break chance lurking. Muguruza closed the door on service, taking a 2-0 lead. The Czech suffered another double fault, that opened the door for the sixth seed to take action, gaining breakpoints, the Spaniard let two slip away before capturing her sixth consecutive game. 

Vondrousova tried to bring some tricks in response to returning against Muguruza but her efforts fell apart. The sixth seed continued her powerful groundstrokes against the eighth seed, taking a 4-0 stand. Muguruza marched along, taking another service game from Vondrousova who was at a loss when it came to putting the brakes on her opponent. With the balls to serve for the match, the unstoppable Muguruza let Vondrousova make the mistakes. She had three match points, in which the Czech made a stop to one but the other from the forehand caught its mark to end a dominant match that took 50 minutes. 

Muguruza was relentless with her accuracy on the forehand scoring a total of 55 points to Vondrousova’s 24. The Spaniard had just 19 winners and on double fault in one of her best performances of the year to date. “I think I played well today,” said Muguruza. “My serve was working in the right moments and I felt like at the beginning of the match that I could take control of the point.” 

She’ll hope to take the title before Monday’s first Grand Slam as she faces world number one Ashleigh Barty who carried the home advantage. “It’s always good to play the top players, especially the world number one. We had tough matches so I’m expecting another battle.”

Muguruza avenges AO Final with beating of Sofia Kenin

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Revenge tasted sweet for Garbine Muguruza at the Yarra Valley Classic Friday afternoon. The 27-year-old was powerful on the court against second-seeded Sofia Kenin, who had a lot of frustration from her mistakes in a 6-4, 6-2 score on Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park. 

This marked the rematch of the 2020 Australian Open between the finalist and the reigning champion. The American captured her second win against the Spaniard that gave her a maiden slam. It was predicted to be another fight, this time for a spot in the semifinals. Muguruza’s game sharpened nicely during the two tournaments played so far this season. Having yet to drop a set so far in Melbourne, Kenin had to be at her best against the former world number one. 

The second seed came out and shut out Muguruza with a serve to love. The American gained an early chance at a break but was foiled by the Spaniard who answered a pop fly with a smashing return. She played through another deuce before securing the hold of serve against Kenin. Becoming the first to break wasn’t in the cards as some of her returns fell long of the baseline. Kenin went on to hold the third with a return landing softly at the back end of the court out of Muguruza’s reach. 

The sixth seed used the middle of the court and her height to control the rallies against Kenin and come through with a serve to love. Mistakes from the American resulted in a break to love for Muguruza who took the lead after five. She backed up the break of serve with a hold in the sixth, gaining serious momentum over the Australian Open champ. The Spaniard scored the coveted double break that handed her a 5-2 hold, awaiting her moment to serve for the set. 

Muguruza ran into some trouble, committing two double faults in the game. With a shot to break, Kenin hit one too long of the baseline bringing the score to deuce. A crosscourt winner brought up her second attempt and won it on a forced error from Kenin ending the set in 31 minutes. The Spaniard had 15 winners and four unforced errors with a service at nearly 80 percent. With such a strong output from the sixth seed, she hoped to roll her success into the next frame. 

Kenin left the court before coming back to regroup and get a grip on her serve. Muguruza gave her a beating that took the game to deuce. Kenin tried to get the AD point secure but her opponent changed the tide, gaining the break in the end. Muguruza once again backed up the break with a hold of serve, carrying a seven-game winning streak. Kenin put together a hold of serve in the third, snapping the Spaniard’s dominance. 

The American worked hard to add a second win in the shape of a break but gaining another was not favored by the sixth seed. Kenin erred the ball into the net, giving Muguruza the lead back at 3-2. The second seed worked hard, fighting the Spaniard for a break but even breaks on deuce weren’t enough to change the outcome. Showing tremendous power, Muguruza showed no letting up and took a 5-2 stand. 

The second seed served for not only the match but her revenge from early 2020. Giving Kenin just one point in the eighth game, the Spaniard gained two match points where a smashed winner completed the upset that took her 1 hour and 11 minutes. 

“I was lucky to have two weeks of training to get used to the court and very excited to be back,” Muguruza said after her match. When asked whether being back brought her energy to compete back on the courts Muguruza responded, “It’s always better to know that you’ve played well. I think that gives you happiness and great energy and hope that things can go well again.”

Irina Begu wins another three set marathon over Johanna Konta

Irina Camelia Begu appeared to know that three sets was the way to victory for a third time at the Gippsland Trophy Wednesday. For the third time in the tournament, the Romanian went the distance against Johanna Konta where nine match points and a total of 253 points resulted in a 4-6, 7-6(10), 7-6(4) score on Court Seven at Melbourne Park. 

The two-faced for the first time last year at Rome where the British number one walloped the competition. After a strong start against Bernarda Pera on Tuesday, Konta would look to repeat her same style of winning against the Romanian. Begu pulled off a three-set win against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, making her second straight match that went the distance. While she would try to give Konta a lot more fight, it would be up to her timing to outduel the Brit. 

She blew her chance to take the opening lead as Konta rushed to a lead and captured the break allowing Begu one point. She consolidated the break with a good service that saw the Romanian follow suit. She battled the Brit in the third game but a force of deuce saved her service hold. They went the next two games with service holds until the sixth when Begu leveled when Konta had a miscue on serve to hand a break. 

Begu consolidated with a serve to love but couldn’t keep up the momentum of winning two games. Konta got back on track, evening them to four-all before a break of Begu in the ninth set up her shot at the set. The British number one opened up two set points with the next one clinching the early lead after 50 minutes. Both played even tennis with the difference being the double fault Begu made. 

She knew that the smallest of errors couldn’t be made against Konta and made it a point early. After suffering another break of serve in the opening game, she rallied back to give Konta trouble. The fifth seed suffered a setback that forced deuce for the Romanian, capturing the break back. She had the lead with a strong service game to consolidate a lead for herself but a shutout from Konta leveled them back through four games. They got even again through six when Konta matched Begu despite fighting hard to hold serve. 

The 30-year-old held in the seventh and followed it up by breaking Konta apart for a 5-3 stand. With a chance to force a decider, Begu slipped up committing the errors needed for Konta to break back. Begu let her anger out with a throw of the racket that hit the legs of a ball kid. She was given a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct and a chance to calm down. In the tenth, she opened a lead against the Brit’s service before forcing an error that brought the game to deuce. 

Surviving three set points, Konta made her way to forcing the set deeper with Begu enraged. She responded by putting her anger into holding serve and pressuring Konta to make it or break it. The British number one held her end in the 12th to force a huge tiebreak that would take them into a long decider or give the fifth seed victory. 

Begu opened the tiebreak with a pair of points before giving Konta two for herself. They got to a four-all tie before Begu made the push to earn another set point. One went down as Konta nailed the line to save yet another one. The Romanian with the ball in hand but failed to get it locked up on her fifth attempt. After saving five set points for her opponent, Konta earned her first match point attempt at 7-6. A drop shot attempt was returned well by Begu with a simply lined lob. 

The 30-year old earned a sixth set point on serve but erred the ball into the net. The two were locked at eight-all until a long ball from Begu brought up a second match point. Konta’s return was just over the baseline, returning them to a stalemate. They got to ten-all until a big point win for Begu gave her an eighth set point. With the score at 11-10, Begu focused on the rally and witnessed her opponent make a disastrous mistake. A lob attempt that didn’t fare well for match point killed a straight sets situation ending 1 hour and 22 minutes. 

Konta opened the third with a fight from Begu, who threatened with a force of deuce. She had a breakpoint chance but missed her shot, allowing the Brit to hold serve. The Romanian held and consolidated in the third with a break of serve to Konta. The next three games went briskly with each holding serve on one another. By the seventh, there was a push from Begu but only sat a game up. 

She held the eighth to pressure Konta to break and fall out of the competition. Gaining her first of three match points, the first popped up and landed wide. The second recorded as a forced error by the Romanian leaving her with one more to go. Konta saved all three with a return becoming a pop fly return landing outside the court. Konta took the game, pressuring Begu in the rallies to hold on. 

She earned her moment to serve for the match and started the tenth game with a crosscourt ace. A net-front return inched her closer before she nailed her second ace bringing up three match points. Konta saved a fourth with a crosscourt return where Begu wasn’t. A return winner followed by a net point saved every point to go to deuce. Begu gave herself a seventh match point attempt but got under pressure, losing out on that chance. 

Konta put herself in a good place, holding serve in the 11th to pressure her Romanian opponent. With it being Begu’s serve for the 12th, the 30-year-old pushed the match to the brink with a hold of serve for a final tiebreak with the fifth seed. The two traded points through six until mistakes from Konta gave Begu a 5-3 lead. She scored the penultimate one that set up an eighth match point but fell long. A ninth was the winner for the Romanian as she came close to the net and nailed the shot inside ending a marathon 3 hour and 35-minute ordeal.

Svitolina overcomes rough start to win in wild three setter

Embed from Getty Images Elina Svitolina worked through a bunch of trouble at the Gippsland Trophy Wednesday. Overcoming a lost first set tiebreak, the third seed worked through the aggressive game of Jelena Ostapenko to win 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 at 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. In a battle where they played 205 combined points, It came down to a breakdown from the Latvian, who committed 11 double faults letting a terrific stance slip away. 

The two got at it for the fourth time in their careers with the Latvian holding a win over the world number five. Svitolina got the best of Ostapenko back in Doha two years ago where she edged her out in straight sets. Though the Latvian remains a dangerous player, her double faults bring out a weak spot that if not worked on, could spell trouble later in the match. The third seed put together a strong win against Andrea Petkovic but with just one match in so far down under, getting through Ostapenko proved a bigger challenge. 

The 13th seed made a big statement during her opening service game. She moved Svitolina around, hitting the lines and earning points on winners. Ostapenko battled the Ukrainian’s serve but couldn’t convert the break for an early lead. Svitolina tried to pull off the same move with two double faults coming to Ostapenko in the third. She saved the game with a winner and an error from the third seed that made it a hold. 

The Latvian overcame a 0-40 situation where it looked as if Svitolina would close it out quick and dictate from there. The third seed made some mistakes on returns facing an aggressive attack from Ostapenko, who forced deuce and took the break. The Latvian saw her chance to get a grip of the third seed, but an error on deuce killed not only her service game but her handing the break back. 

Ostapenko had the double break in hand as Svitolina failed to get a shot inside the court. The 13th seed gained breathing room in the set, moving well on the court coming in to make it a tough defeat for the 26-year-old. Svitolina caught a break on serve, forcing errors from her opponent in the eight to hold serve. Ostapenko responded with terrific power and control to gain set points but errors killed every opportunity. 

Svitolina was back in reach of tying the score with her going for the extension in the tenth. Two aces and errors from Ostapenko pushed her forward, trying to gain the lead in the set’s final moments. Despite facing some adversity, the third seed locked down the 11th for the break to serve for the set. Instead of forcing Ostapenko to err just enough, she found herself running for the returns watching a winner from the Latvian clinch a tiebreak in action. 

Svitolina gained a three-point run setting off the 23-year-old, who let out a ferocious scream. Ostapenko won the next two and a third on a crosscourt forehand. After nine points, the Latvian led 5-4 before another line drive winner brought up more set points. On her fourth attempt, Ostapenko closed out the first watching Svitolina return the ball into the net ending one hour and two minutes. The Latvian scored 22 winners, but the near two dozen unforced errors almost killed her efforts. 

Knowing she had to keep that number low, Ostapenko ran into trouble in the second set. The Latvian failed to get the early break and blew the serve in the following game. Svitolina led 3-0 taking down her opponent, who dug into the third game but let control get away from her. The third seed made key adjustments to grow such a lead on the Latvian but the double break eluded the 26-year-old. Forced errors got Ostapenko on the board, hoping to add on to it. 

 =The 13th seed didn’t get to tag another victory as errors cost her the break chance, sitting 1-4 down. A hold of serve was an important point for the Latvian who cut the gap with Svitolina in half. The Ukrainian made it hard for Ostapenko to threaten a chance to break and locked down the service to lead 5-2. The Latvian stayed in the set, holding strong in the eighth with the hope of more wins to come. 

Ostapenko surged for the break in the ninth but got into trouble when Svitolina adjusted to make her point clear. On deuce, the Ukrainian took two breaks to seal up the second set and force her opponent to a decider after 36 minutes. Svitolina improved on the winners with 12 with Ostapenko losing out on failing to convert break points in the set. 

She blew her opening service game in the third set, letting her frustrations out verbally to her camp in the stands. Svitolina coasted to victory with a serve to love in the second, showing comfort on the court. The same couldn’t be said of the 13th seed, who lost all control, handing the Ukrainian a break to love in the third. During the sit-down, Ostapenko took some deep breaths and turned it around with a hard-fought break of the third seed. 

She gained a second win consolidating with a hold of serve in the fifth. Svitolina knew that she couldn’t let the score get any tighter and responded with two big wins that included a break of Ostapenko. With balls in hand to serve for the match, Svitolina watched as the Latvian erred three times, setting up match points. The 23-year-old saved two of them, but on a third, she scored the victory with a line drive winner ending a dramatic 2 hour and 14-minute match. 

What was considered a major comeback for the world number five, only meant that her fight could come when the time needed it. She’d take it into the quarterfinals facing Elise Mertens in the last eight.

Muguruza quickly wins at Yarra Valley Classic

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Garbine Muguruza made quick work of her opening match at the Yarra Valley Classic Tuesday night. The Spaniard rocked Alison Van Uytvanck to sleep in just under an hour winning 6-2, 6-0 on 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. 

This marked their fourth meeting and the first in three years for the two. The Belgian earned the last win at Wuhan, evening their meetings on hard courts. Van Uytvanck hadn’t played this season since the French Open due to her engagement during the holidays last year. Muguruza played three matches in Abu Dhabi, preparing herself to be at the ready in Australia. With her first one coming against Van Uytvanck, the Spaniard had be ready quickly against the Belgian. 

Both played through three service games, with some errors from either player. By the fourth, Van Uytvanck made a critical double fault that opened the door for Muguruza to barge in. She counteracted the Belgian on serve to earn the first break and a 3-1 lead. The sixth seed returned to service in the fifth, taking the reins of the set to win the next three straight. At 5-2 and Van Uytvanck under pressure, the Spaniard rushed her during the rallies to close out the set in 26 minutes. Muguruza had seven winners and only two unforced errors, producing the exact results she wanted Van Uytvanck to witness. 

The screw turned tighter for Muguruza, who opened the second set with a service hold. Errors rattled the Belgian to hand the break to the sixth seed, who answered with terrific ball strikes to lead 3-0. Van Uytvanck battled on serve in the fourth but made some slip-ups that resulted in going to deuce. Under pressure, the Belgian double-faulted, handing the double break to Muguruza. 

Van Uytvanck tried desperately to change the tide of control in the fifth, but her efforts were silenced by the Spaniard who eyed the match. The Belgian served to stay alive but faced big statements from Muguruza who earned three match points. It was all said and done in a lightning-fast 49 minutes with Van Uytvanck hitting a return wide. 

With the winners and limited unforced errors doing the trick for the sixth seed, she would go into the round of 32 facing tennis veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Johanna Konta coasts to first win of the season against Bernarda Pera

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Johanna Konta kept her service in check that was the key to her opening victory of 2021 at the Gippsland Trophy. Bernarda Pera didn’t have her service game together throughout her battles with the fifth seed who won 6-2, 6-2 on 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. 

The two rekindled their rivalry dating back three years when they met a few times. Pera won their last matchup, ending her losing streak to the Brit. The American got a lot of time on the court winning her three-set match over Olivia Gadecki. It marked her third match this season, setting the bar high for Konta making her season start. With little time to warm up since completing quarantine, the world number 13 had to get a terrific start if she expected to be back to competing well against Pera. 

The opening game was a long one for both as Pera cooked the ball too much during rallies, leading to a short deficit. Konta had a breakpoint chance but made an error that forced deuce. The game lasted seven minutes and after four long breaks, Pera managed to come through it holding service. Pera attacked Konta’s serve late in the second that forced deuce but an opportunity went wide, resulting in the Brit holding. 

A break for the world number 13 gave her a leg up as Pera double-faulted in the third. It was soon one-way traffic, as Konta had her offense in position, taking her best to Pera who struggled to answer. The double faults began to increase for the American who was once again broken in the fifth. Konta rallied to consolidate a second time, winning her fifth game in a row. Pera got on the board with a better service game despite notching her fourth double fault. The damage has been done and with Konta serving for the set, she double-faulted for the first time yet closed out the first in 44 minutes. 

Konta opened the second with another break of serve, driving the returns hard that made it a tough outing. She then posted a surprising service game filled with errors and a double fault that put Pera on the board. The American still hadn’t cleared out the problems, notching the third broken service game in favor of the British number one. Konta avoided giving one to her opponent on serve and held her end during the fourth to make it 3-1. 

The American responded with a quick service game that cut into Konta’s lead, hoping to counteract the pace. The two were on a run of service games with Pera in reach of the Brit through seven games. Konta made the push to hold in the eighth, giving her a chance to play for the match on Pera’s service. Both made errors in the ninth, but with game point, Pera double-faulted, bringing the score to deuce. The Brit scored match point on a breakpoint crosscourt winner before closing out her first match of the season with a final error from Pera ending 1 hour and 18 minutes.