Garbine Muguruza puts a stop to Magdalena Frech at Volvo Car Open

Garbine Muguruza had to work hard in the second set but overall had a comfortable start at the Volvo Car Open Tuesday afternoon. The Spaniard contained her opening match in straight sets against Magdalena Frech winning 6-1, 6-3 on Althea Gibson Court at the Volvo Car Stadium in South Carolina. It marked her 21st WTA win of the season adding a good start to the clay season. 

The Spaniard came off a good run in Miami, making it to the round of 16 before losing out to Bianca Andreescu. Despite snapping an eight-match losing streak, the Spaniard was more than excited to begin the clay-court season in Charleston. The Polish number four carried a three-match streak on the green clay, winning her opening round, but faced tremendous adversity in the former world number one. 

The set opened with service holds through four games until Muguruza brought some defense to redirect the pace. The sixth seed broke Frech in the fourth game, earning two break points in the process. The 27-year-old backed it up with a hold to gain a 4-1 score over the Polish number four. The double break was achieved by the Spaniard, who was on a roll of comfortability serving for the set in the seventh. Despite playing behind in the game, she didn’t give her opponent any leverage to capture the break and put away the first in 26 minutes. Muguruza served at 65 percent and had 11 winners while Frech only had three from her end. 

She didn’t let her light offense bother her as the Spaniard looked for a break chance but was denied in the second set. A missed smash allowed the Polish player to force deuce and earn a shot at holding. It took only one break on deuce for the 23-year-old to get on the board hoping that more success would trail along. Muguruza came out with a serve to love in the second that was answered by one of Frech’s. 

They continued the holds of serve through six games with Muguruza upping the ante with seven forehand winners recorded. The battle for the seventh was on as Frech tried to contain service but had Muguruza breathing down her back for the break. A double fault by the 23-year-old nearly cost her, but despite saving four breakpoints, she couldn’t stop the Spaniard from a fifth that gave her the lead back. 

Muguruza earned easy points on serve as Frech erred too much in the eighth, taking a 5-3 hold. Playing for the match, the sixth seed fired shots at the forehand of the Polish player, but her own game fell apart on serve, setting up the Spaniard with two match points. She saved one with a line drive winner but her second attempt ended a long rally with a ball landing into the tramlines ending things in one hour and six minutes. 

“I’m very excited to play on my favorite surface,” said Muguruza to Andrew Krasny after the match. “It was my first match of the season on clay and it's always tough to get the rhythm but I’m happy that I started well and in the second set, the match was tougher and I expected a battle.”