Ludmilla Samsonova breaks Garbine Muguruza down in straight sets

Ludmilla Samsonova clenches her fist in celebration of a point during her match with Garbine Muguruza at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. 

Ludmilla Samsonova lit up the competition to advance for the first time at the Toray Pan Pacific Open Friday night. The 23-year-old dominated on serve, taking the second set by force, resulting in a 6-4, 6-2 straight sets win against Garbine Muguruza on center court at the Ariake Tennis Park. It marked the third semifinal advance for the right-hander in what was a major upset in the making.

The Spaniard had a quick evening against the Greek, getting into the quarterfinal for the fifth time in her career. Facing Samsonova was a good sign for the 28-year-old, who she faced at the Australian Open last year, losing only four games in straight sets. With plenty going right for the former world number one, Muguruza intended on making it back to the semis for the first time since 2017. The 23-year-old also had a straight sets win, but facing Xinyu Wang brought further effort on her part to make it to the last eight. Hoping to make an upset happen, Samsonova had to get her timing right and remain consistent.

Due to a hiccup in Muguruza’s service, she got in front to break in the opening game. The third seed broke back in response, backing up the conversion on serve in the next. Samsonova got into gear during her service in the fourth, going after the Spaniard’s service in the fifth. Fighting from a 15-40 deficit, Muguruza saved breakpoints and held the lone AD point to remain in the lead.

The 23-year-old leveled the score with a service hold, finding a new comfort level that assisted in breaking the third seed to love. With the lead for the first time in the match, Samsonova faltered, watching Muguruza do well with the returns to break back. The world number 30 struck back for the double break, earning a chance to run away with the set on serve in the tenth.

Errors proved to be an advantage in the set, and for Samsonova, it gave her the match lead in 42 minutes. She watched Muguruza err on every single return in the game, giving the notion that she lost control of her offense. Despite recording 18 unforced errors, her big downfall was the serve percentages that Samsonova had in check from her end. She also notched 16 errors but won 71 percent from the first serve.

Muguruza tried to have a better start to open the second, but errors on a 40-15 score turned to bring the 23-year-old to deuce. She forced another pair of errors from the Spaniard, breaking as she did in the first. Samsonova backed up the hard work with another shutout on serve, putting the 28-year-old under pressure to prevent the pace from slipping away. She fought hard to contain the third on serve, but tallying another was out of the question.

Muguruza showed frustration when she couldn’t break through her opponent’s service game, leaving her with fewer expectations from her efforts. It was soon 4-1 for Samsonova, who continued to do no wrong on serve, managing an easy victory for a 5-1 stand. Sitting in a vulnerable position, Muguruza served to extend play in the match, forcing errors from the 23-year-old. A long ball error from Samsonova secured the second victory for the Spaniard but still faced a three-game gap.

Serving for a spot in the semifinal, the 23-year-old stayed composed and put together an extraordinary end to the third seed’s run in Tokyo, ending the match in 1 hour and 21 minutes.

Jelena Ostapenko edges her way into Korea Open QFs

Jelena Ostapenko had her experience to get her out of a jam at the Korea Open Thursday. The Latvian had another match full of double faults and errors along with Anastasia Gasanova, winning 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 on center court at the Olympic Tennis Park in Seoul. In what started as a hard-earned set, capturing a double break turned into a fight for control to the distance.

The Latvian made a mess of her opening round, putting too many double faults and unforced errors together. Though she edged out the 19-year-old Korean in a two-and-a-quarter-hour fight, trimming off the problems was key for her to move on through the tournament. Ostapenko failed to put together two or more matches in 9 of 11 tournaments she’s been in this season. Gasanova won her third WTA match of the year in a two-hour onslaught, saving her opponent from taking the first set in the process. Her chances to overcome the top seed would depend on how the 25-year-old’s serve went.

A pair of double faults put Gasanova out front, but the top seed rallied back to force deuce, saving a break and holding the game on the first break. Ostapenko consolidated the early lead, with a break of her opponent, and soon had a grip on the set for a 3-0 lead. Gasanova didn’t get the first serve in place, double-faulting on her second try and handed the double break to Ostapenko.

She managed to break back the top seed in the fifth, gaining a footing in the set for the first time. Gasanova backed up the break of serve for a controlled service that cut Ostapenko’s margin in half. The Latvian held serve through the next three games to come out ahead 6-3 in 37 minutes. She had the better outcome of the two, scoring more points from the first and second serves, while Gasanova managed three of eight from the second serve.

The second was a mess between the two by the third game when the 23-year-old opened the door with another double fault, handing Ostapenko the break and a 2-1 lead. She broke back on account of Ostapenko committing her first double fault of the set. She wouldn’t go through it with just one and opened the door wider for Gasanova to take the break back.

Each of them had a better output from their serves in the following two games, but in the seventh, a double fault nearly caused a break for the Latvian. The 23-year-old was lucky enough to hold her off a break in the seventh but not fortunate in the ninth. Ostapenko scored her second break as her opponent suffered her third of the set.

The Latvian would be lucky with her serve, struggling in the business end where Gasanova leveled the game at five-all on a break. She held firm in the 11th and went all in in the 12th. It was there that Ostapenko’s nerves got the best of her, committing three double faults through the final game. She handed Gasanova three set points, with the last one forcing the two to go to a deciding set after 58 minutes.

Ostapenko blew the match wide open with seven double faults committed, but the performance on serve percentages was even between the two. It was anyone’s match going into the third, meaning holding serve was imperative for the two. The number one seed got the message after a double fault, rallying back from 40-15 only to lose out on the one AD point played. She swept through her service in the second, holding Gasanova to a single point. Taking her positive moment on serve, Ostapenko brought up a breakpoint chance in the third and held after the 23-year-old forced deuce. With a break in hand, the number one seed backed up the effort with a service game in the third, opening the margin to two.

Gasanova had her best service since the opening game of the second set, holding the Latvian to a point. She scored a break that tied them at three-all, making it a race to the finish. It became a messy offense for the 25-year-old, who committed her second double fault. Gasanova sped away in the seventh, achieving a hold to love and then up 5-3 on a third double fault from Ostapenko that turned into a struggle for each of them.

Drawing errors off the 23-year-old helped produce AD points, but converting them proved difficult. After four breaks, Gasanova brought up her third breakpoint of the game and took a huge 5-3 lead, eyeing the upset on the horizon. It was where the 23-year-old blew open a gap in the shape of three double faults. She somehow forced deuce and brought up match point. Once it was blown by a double fault, Gasanova went on to lose the game.

Ostapenko was fortunate to get out of trouble and avoid the upset, powering her way through the tenth to push them to the brink. The Latvian was nearly gifted another way to victory on account of further double faults rattling the 23-year-old. She fought back to force deuce but didn’t get into place to produce another match point. The number one seed did that on serve in the 12th, achieving her moment after five points played to get her place in the quarterfinals after a grueling 2 hours and 37 minutes against her game and her opponent’s.

Despite having another battle with controlling her miscues on offense, the experience of being under stress on the court got her through a second trying competition. With only steps away from the title, the top seed needed to be in better form, playing Victoria Kasintseva next.

Garbine Muguruza rallies to win in straight sets in Tokyo

Garbine Muguruza serves up the forehand serve during her second-round match at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. 

Garbine Muguruza’s struggles for consistency were not a problem at the Pan Pacific Open Wednesday. The third seed ran away with a straight sets win against Despina Papamichail 6-3, 6-2 on center court at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo. The victory gave the Spaniard her fifth career advance to the quarterfinal in what was a shaky start to her tournament run.

The Spaniard made her sixth appearance in the Japanese capital, prepped to make her push back into the middle of the competition and beyond. Despite being absent for four years, Muguruza’s last return to Ariake Tennis Park was during the Tokyo Olympics where she made it to the quarterfinals. Having been given a bye from the first round, she faced the Greek who warmed up in her straight sets win Monday. It marked her first time facing a former world number one, and with Muguruza coming off the US Open, it left a possibility for the 29-year-old.

She struggled to get the first serve in check, recording a double fault on serve. A game-point chance went out the window when Muguruza took control and notched the break. Muguruza suffered a mishap in the second, watching Papamichail break her back to love and consolidated with a heavy effort. Saving breakpoints helped the 29-year-old lead the way, but Muguruza overcame her early problems and swiftly tied the score.

The third seed forced another break out of the Greek and backed it up with a service hold, doubling her margin. Papamichail notched her second double fault but fought back to force deuce and hold the first AD point. Muguruza rallied to 5-3, but in the ninth, the 29-year-old saved two set points, going on to hold serve. The third seed put her mistakes in the game aside and fought to force deuce and on the first break, scored the set in 51 minutes. The 28-year-old delivered big from the first serve, landing 9 of 12, and put the second serve to work on the returns.

With everything paying off in the opening set, Muguruza went on a tear in the second, notching a break to love. She went on taking the next three games, with the double break in hand. Papamichail got a victory in the fifth, but Muguruza made it 5-1 on a serve to love. The seventh saw the Greek work her offense effectively against the Spaniard, making her play every ball that included a near 20-shot rally. She clinched a second win, hoping that she could prevent the Spaniard from finishing the match on serve.

The third seed jammed up the returns of Papamichail, aiming the shots near the body to reach three match points. Muguruza got it done and dusted in 1 hour and 26 minutes, with an eight-shot rally ending with Papamichail slicing wide. The comeback that the Greek nearly got started shows how difficult it can be for a tennis superstar, who took more than a week off from competition.

“It is difficult,” said Muguruza after the match. “Especially that she has played here four days in a row and has the good feeling of this court, and I had to get ready as much as possible with the rain, so I was nervous.”

Tatjana Maria narrowly defeats Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets at Korea Open

Tatjana Maria had the competition breathing down her neck but kept the edge in her favor to advance at the Korea Open Tuesday. The German found very little comfort against Eugenie Bouchard, who put another strong performance to make it a challenging 7-6(5), 7-6(5) score on center court at the Olympic Park Tennis Center.

The two nearly met up in Chennai last week, but the German lost a challenging three setter to Nadia Podoroska. She gets her chance to test the skills of the Canadian, who felt proud of herself, going three matches in a tournament for the first time in under two years. In her quest to improve her WTA ranking, Bouchard had to level the series after her 2015 loss to Maria in Miami. Though their last meeting occurred seven years ago, the 35-year-old wanted to avoid going 0-2 in Seoul and against a Canadian again.

Bouchard delivered a good service hold to start the match, then went after Maria on her serve in the second. The 35-year-old prevented a break chance for the Canadian, only to struggle with clinching the AD point. Three was a charm for Maria, who got out of a jam but knew that Bouchard was playing her best tennis on the night. Bouchard and Maria continued to hold serve, allowing very few points through the next four games.

By the end of the ninth, both players served to love twice, with Bouchard up 5-4. Serving to stay in the set, Maria didn’t want to be the first to drop a point, and after going 17 points straight, a double fault ended the streak. Though she gave up the point, the German held to make it five-all. The pressure was on Bouchard to outduel the seventh seed, but despite the close score, she forced the German to match or fall a set down.

Maria kept her game tight, forcing errors from Bouchard to go to a tiebreak where she again fell behind. The Canadian led the way early, but fell into trouble with forehand returns that gave Maria control. She waited for her moment to gain another minibreak before conducting a way to edge past Bouchard. She had two set points to work with, clinching the win over the 28-year-old 7-5 in 61 minutes.

It was a very close finish between the two, but the leg up for Maria gave her a boost to be the one controlling the pace. She held to open the second set, watching Bouchard serve to love in response in the second game. Holding serve in the third led to a break up for the German, but being broken back was a huge way of Bouchard staying within reach. After leveling again in the sixth, Maria notched her second serve to love of the set to lead 4-3, making the eighth game critical for her to win. 

Bouchard defended her side of the court even after Maria forced deuce. They went five breaks where the Canadian saved three breakpoints, going on to hold the serve. She worked out a break of the seventh seed in the ninth to be the first to serve for the set and move them into a decider. Maria powered her way through to even the score at five-all, pressuring Bouchard on serve. She forced deuce but fell after three breaks, suffering a deficit when she got shutout in the 11th.

The Canadian got a jump on the third point of the 12th game, running away with the win that sealed them into another tiebreak. The German controlled her path to victory, keeping the 28-year-old behind her just enough to take the match 7-5, ending a 2 hour and 19 minute thriller.

Jelena Ostapenko dominates tiebreak to win over Boyoung Jeong in three sets

Jelena Ostapenko fought through the tension and struggles to come in front at the Hana Bank Korea Open Tuesday night. Boyoung Jeong took advantage of the numerous double faults and errors the Latvian committed, but couldn’t dig into the tiebreak, losing 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) on center court at the Olympic Park Tennis Stadium.

The Latvian made her fourth appearance in the South Korean capital, looking to add her second hard court title this season. Her second career title victory came at the tournament in 2017 after winning the French Open. With the Asian swing of the season in action and attaining the top seed, Ostapenko has a chance to be the one in charge.

She didn’t put her best foot forward and notched a double fault to start the competition. Relying on the second serve led to her service breaking against Jeong, who came into her serve neck and neck with Ostapenko. The Latvian managed to break back, and score an ace to start the third game. It led to another hold, putting her two games out front. Jeong scored a double break at the hands of Ostapenko, who delivered the errors that made it so.

The Korean leveled the score in the sixth, controlling the late stages of the score in it. Jeong notched another break, with the assistance of Ostapenko, who ran into further issues with the serve. The number one seed pulled off a break back that made it four-all, right before she drew errors in the ninth that assisted in gaining back the lead. Having Jeong right where she wanted her, the 25-year-old rallied for the break and the set, drawing errors from the teen and walking away with the set in 38 minutes.

Ostapenko’s saving grace was Jeong’s serve percentages and numerous errors, but it wasn’t enough to keep her opponent back. She opened the second set breaking the Latvian, who returned the favor and had a 2-1 lead after going long in the second. The serve to love from Ostapenko didn’t take much from the 19-year-old, who stayed in control and moved right along with the top seed.

They held serve in the next two games, until a string of errors from the Latvian caused her to suffer another break. The change in momentum sat with Jeong, who saved breakpoints on her serve, forcing deuce and holding the AD point twice to lead 5-3. She watched as Ostapenko struggled with the forehand, racking up the errors that handed the teen a chance to go for the match after 43 minutes. The stats swung the wrong way for the number one seed, whose serve percentages dwindled to be in a fight for her time in Korea.

The teen knew she had much to gain from knocking out a number one seed, but doing so on serve was not meant to be. Ostapenko rallied to a break and consolidated for a 2-0 run on Jeong. The teen responded with a key hold of serve, breaking the Latvian in the fourth to level the score. They held through the next pair of games, but the seventh spelled trouble for Jeong as Ostapenko upped the ante, forcing deuce and achieving breakpoints to score the lead back.

The 25-year-old held Jeong to love in the eighth, but getting a break in the ninth was not in the cards. Jeong played hard to defend her service game, scoring the victory with a shot behind Ostapenko. Sitting a game down, Ostapenko gifted the tenth with her eighth double fault. The 25-year-old erred to give Jeong triple break point, sealing it with a winner to Ostapenko’s left. Jeong backed up the break with a strong hold of serve, looking great to upset the Latvian. The top seed refused to give it up on serve and pulled off a serve to love before heading into a tiebreak.

It was there that Ostapenko held her game together long enough to dictate most of the points played and hold Jeong far back. Drawing an error from the teen for match point, Ostapenko sealed the win on a long ball return from the Korean that ended her struggles in 2 hours and 13 minutes. The 25-year-old had a messy night out on the court, recording nine errors for the first time in recent match play. The inconsistencies needed to sort out before doing business with Anastasia Gasanova in the second round.  

Nadia Podoroska edges Eugenie Bouchard in three sets at Chennai Open

Nadia Podoroska in action against Eugenie Bouchard at the Chennai Open. 

Nadia Podoroska pulled off another comeback that sealed her place into the final four at the Chennai Open Friday night. The former French Open semifinalist went the distance against Eugenie Bouchard, who gave it her best but came up short in a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 result on center court at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex.

The Canadian pulled together two wins that she hadn’t been able to accomplish in more than 500 days. Her victory over India’s best chance at the tournament allowed her to dig deep and face the Argentinian for the first time. Podoroska didn’t have an easy time making the quarterfinal, going the distance against a stubborn Tatjana Maria. After investing much more time on the court than Bouchard did in straight sets, the competition for the semifinal was to be taut.

To make sure she had leverage right from the start, Bouchard came through late on the first break of deuce to win on Podoroska’s serve. She went on to consolidate, and control the pace through the next three games, shutting Podoroska out in each one. It wasn’t till the fifth that the 25-year-old got on the board with a service hold. She upped the ante in the sixth, gaining breakpoints at 40-15. Bouchard rallied to save all of them for deuce, leading the two into a lengthy tug of war for the coveted point.

After seven breaks and four of them saved by Bouchard, the 28-year-old found a way to sit 5-1 in what was the longest game of the match. She managed to breeze through the seventh game, holding Podoroska to a point, before taking the set in 38 minutes. Like her efforts on Wednesday, the Canadian had a solid first serve percentage, winning 14 from 18 and saving all seven breaks faced. The Argentinian committed two double faults and struggled to keep up, but her time wasn’t running out.

In the second set, Podoroska suffered her third shutout of the match, but held once she got the chance to serve. She went on to score a break against Bouchard, consolidating on that in the fourth. It appeared something bothered the 28-year-old, but she continued playing on, suffering another break at the hands of Podoroska. Before the sixth, the Canadian called the trainer to examine an issue with her midsection. At the end of the medical timeout, Podoroska went for a chance at 5-1 but watched Bouchard get in the action and break back.

The 28-year-old backed up the break in the sixth, with a service to love chewing into Podoroska’s lead. The 25-year-old stayed ahead of Bouchard, gaining back her two-game buffer, until the ninth, when she suffered a loss of set point, failing to capture a break chance. With a game separating the two from a fight deeper into the second, the players through it all out to win the tenth game. Podoroska saved a breakpoint for Bouchard and brought up her second set point.

The Argentinian suffered two consecutive double faults, but despite opening the door for Bouchard, her opponent couldn’t connect the victory. It led them to play on, and after four breaks in total, Podoroska earned the set, leading Bouchard to smash her racket after 68 minutes of play. The 25-year-old had four double faults in the set, but her efforts late gave her a chance to go for broke in the decider.

They both chose to ditch the heat rule and play on, which Podoroska took in the shape of a service hold. She went on to back it up, breaking the Canadian to love in the second. Podoroska took a commanding 3-0 lead, showing plenty of dictation until play was suspended due to lightning in the area. After a 31-minute delay, the players returned to the court with Bouchard scoring a break in the fourth, ending Podoroska’s streak.

The Canadian suffered a loss of serve in the fifth, giving the 25-year-old a comfortable margin. She went on to comfortably handle her service for a 5-1 lead, giving Bouchard one last chance to keep her efforts alive. The Canadian drew errors from Podoroska, who only got one point in the game but had another shot at closing Bouchard out.

The Argentinian suffered her eighth double fault but still had match points to burn against the 28-year-old. She blew her chance to ease through the service with an error into the net, bringing Bouchard to deuce. Podoroska made a mistake in a rally, but Bouchard was the one who made an even bigger one. It handed the 25-year-old another match point which she captured on a long return behind the baseline completing another thrilling comeback that took 2 hours and 24 minutes to accomplish.

Eugenie Bouchard posts second win at Chennai Open

Eugenie Bouchard swings the backhand during her second-round match at the Chennai Open. 

Eugenie Bouchard navigated her way to a second straight victory at the Chennai Open Wednesday night. The Canadian worked through Karman Thandi in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(2) to move past the second round on center court at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex. It was the first time since March 13, 2021, that the 28-yeat-old scored back-to-back WTA match wins.

The Canadian posted her first official victory this season, making it to the second round of the Chennai Open. Her efforts to defeat Joanne Zuger of Switzerland took a lot of energy in the opening set until she managed to close it out in the second. It was 546 days since her last WTA victory after suffering a shoulder injury took her down for that amount of time. Though she never faced Thandi before, Bouchard eyed another victory after her opponent put in a lot of time in her three-set battle with Chloe Paquet. A cramp nearly came to the Indian during that victory, hoping to not have the same occur in their fight for a quarterfinal.

Bouchard put together a terrific response to Thandi’s service, jumping ahead of the Indian on the score before capturing the break. Her service game was challenged in the second as Thandi anted up on her forehand shots, hitting back hard against the Canadian. The competition got fierce through four breaks of deuce until a late gain of control for Bouchard helped her consolidate.

The 24-year-old had a few kickbacks with her serve, erring on the backhand to give Bouchard a break to love in the third. By the half-hour mark, the 28-year-old continued to look comfortable with her serve while gaining a 4-0 lead on her opponent. The Indian suffered a double fault on serve in the fifth, indicating that she had little grip of control. Forcing deuce opened the door for Thandi to hunt down the AD point, and after three attempts, she secured her first game of the set.

Bouchard pressed on to reach 5-1, threatening to take the set at any moment. Thandi didn’t want that to occur on her serve, preventing a set point for Bouchard to force deuce and closing it out on a break. Bouchard came into the seventh, keeping herself at the pace she wanted her game to be. Having two set points to play on, the Canadian held the last one to fire an ace down the T, to take the first set in 48 minutes. Bouchard bested Thandi on first and second serves, winning points from both sides, including the breakpoints.

Knowing she had to bring out more, Thandi battled the struggles of her serve and opponent. She and Bouchard went 14 minutes in the opening game that spanned only nine points, but two double faults made it harder for the 24-year-old. Thandi held the two AD points played and put the game to rest on a winner, leading the way. Bouchard kept her service game shorter, overcoming a small deficit to dictate her service hold.

The two held through four games until a move from Thandi put her out front. The 24-year-old scored a key hold in the fifth, giving Bouchard far fewer opportunities. Gaining the lead added confidence to Thandi, who managed to break the Canadian and hold again for a commanding 5-2 lead. The Indian had the finish line of the second set on her horizon, but getting the double break was denied.

Bouchard made sure to find the AD point after Thandi forced deuce and keep her hopes for a straight sets result alive. She still had two games to overcome, and on Thandi’s serve, she drew errors to bring up a set point. Thandi had a miscue during the rally, where a shot hit the net and fell into the tramlines. After saving a second set point, Bouchard went on the offensive and gained AD points, gaining her another chance at tying the score on serve.

Bouchard succeeded in her mission of leveling the score through ten decisions, putting Thandi in a spot to jump back out or suffer under a losing streak. Thandi worked through the service, fighting Bouchard on every point that assisted in edging through the 11th. Bouchard responded with an important service game, holding Thandi to a pair of points. With the tiebreak in place, Bouchard went on to take the first three points before the 24-year-old got onto the scoreboard.

She put some points together but trailed the Canadian, who notched a pair quickly to earn a match point. An error behind the baseline handed the former world number five the victory in 2 hours and 13 minutes, marking a late comeback to maintain strength. “I tried to dominate a lot in the first set, and that’s what worked, and the second she controlled the set a little bit more,” Bouchard said after the match.

“I tried to get back to playing my game towards the end of the second, and thankfully it wasn’t too late to do that, and I was able to come back.” She’ll take the day to rest before awaiting the winner between Nadia Podoroska and Tatjana Maria

Karolina Pliskova edges Victoria Azarenka in three sets at US Open

Karolina Pliskova clenches her first during her fourth round match with Victoria Azarenka at the US Open, 

Karolina Pliskova put together a strong finish to come out front at the US Open Monday. The Czech overcame the heavy-hitting Victoria Azarenka, who forced the competition to three sets only to let it slip in a 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 result on Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It marked her first win on the hard courts against the 26th seed, who had three wins against her in that fashion.

The Czech pulled off a thrilling win against Belinda Bencic after committing over a dozen double faults in her third-round match. The comeback against the Swiss set up the former world number one with another titan of the sport, who has met eight times. Their last battle took place in Rome three years ago, which the 22nd seed captured to level their series. When it comes to their hard court history between the two, Azarenka holds the lead. The 33-year-old handled Petra Martic in straight sets, as the Croatian couldn’t match the level of intensity. With the two titans of the sport fighting for a quarterfinal, the intensity of the players would be high off the first ball.

Pliskova opened the scoring, giving herself a 40-15 lead until Azarenka struck back defending the pace. She forced deuce with the Czech going four breaks, but the breakpoint attempt failed and the hold to Pliskova. She went on to take and hold the lead on Azarenka’s service, gaining an important stand early in the set. The 22nd seed successfully consolidated in the third, keeping the points short on serve.

On her second attempt, the 26th seed used the same strategy as her opponent, denying Pliskova a chance to gain a break on deuce in the fourth. Azarenka got out front twice in the fifth, achieving the break that put her down a game. The 33-year-old got it all tied up, playing well at the baseline, which tricked up the Czech. After losing all the ground from earlier, Pliskova played the baseline strategy of her opponent, finding the open parts of the court. After a battle on deuce for the AD point, the Czech produced game points, clinching the seventh to get back into the lead.

Azarenka served comfortably in the eighth, remaining level with Pliskova, who served in the business end of the set. A key break gave the 26th seeded star a leg up on the Czech, who faced going down a set with Azarenka on serve. The Czech came to the net on the first point, smashing a shot, that the 33-year-old didn’t believe was in. It was 0-30 for Pliskova until a long ball got Azarenka into the action.

A net front point leveled the score, but a mistake on the toss handed the 6-foot-1 star a break. The 26th seed saved it on a well-placed winner, with the control of the rally in her hand. Getting the set point in her grip was difficult due to her returns landing long and opened the door for Pliskova. After a pair of blown chances, the Czech countered for the win, taking them deeper in the set.

With the leverage open for anyone to attain, Pliskova was the first to do so, playing defense at deuce with Azarenka until her moment to hold serve arrived. Putting her opponent under pressure didn’t work out as the 26th seed laid out two net points at the perfect time. The Czech worked in the backhand to bring her a set point and get Azarenka out of the way for the set win in one hour and seven minutes.

Both were almost even on winners to unforced errors, with each of them using their tricks on one another. The second set opened with a fight for control by Pliskova against the 26th seed. The two went through six breaks of deuce in a near 10-minute battle which the Czech won on serve. Azarenka trailed on serve in the second, saving breakpoints to force deuce.

She kept the competition short with Pliskova, taking the service hold on the second break. The 33-year-old chained together a break in the third, earning the lead. She stayed ahead of her opponent through the following three games as a result. The Czech worked hard in the eighth, working hard to generate a breakpoint late and level the score. Her shot to take the lead on serve in the ninth came with momentum, finding the baseline before putting it away on a center-court smash.

Needing to hold, Azarenka felt no pressure or hesitations in the tenth game, serving Pliskova to love. The 22nd seed put her best foot forward on serve in the 11th, pressing out the points and preventing Azarenka from jumping into the game. To stay alive in the match, Azarenka went deep with the second serve and kept Pliskova at the baseline. She worked the pace she set, scoring the important service hold that sent the second set to the distance.

A double fault from the 22nd seed set up a point streak for Azarenka, as well as some momentum from her serves. Pliskova got on the board, and a rare double fault from the 33-year-old cut the margin in half. Back-to-back errors gave Azarenka set points, scoring on her final attempt with a winner that Pliskova didn’t chase. It was a one-hour and nine-minute mission for Azarenka to force a decider, as both players let very little change in their output to each other.

Pliskova went for a big statement in the third, producing breakpoints to take the break. The 33-year-old watched the same result happen in the second, failing to get into Pliskova’s service. The third was her moment to get dug in against her opponent, scoring a pair of winners that helped her get on the board. The path was no longer easy for the Czech, who managed to hold the fourth, but let a lead slip away in the fifth.

Azarenka saved two breakpoints to force deuce, leading the players to struggle to connect points. After six breaks passed, the 33-year-old successfully held serve, staying in touch while denying a huge double break for Pliskova. She managed to recover in the sixth on a tremendous performance on serve, while Azarenka produced errors. The 26th seed went sour on serve in the seventh, with the second serve letting her down.

It opened the door for Pliskova to serve for the match in the eighth, notching an eighth ace from her near-perfect first serve. A return error from Azarenka brought up two match points for the Czech, who watched one go south. Her attempts to ace out didn’t work and instead got under pressure on the rally that forced deuce. The 22nd seed found a spot in the corner to send a crosscourt winner, and on her fourth match point scored on a final error from her opponent ending the match two minutes past three hours on the court.

Victoria Azarenka lays on the pressure to make round of 16 at US Open

 

Victoria Azarenka works the forehand during her third round match with Petra Martic at the US Open 

Victoria Azarenka had too much for the competition to handle at the US Open Saturday. The three-time finalist of the tournament kept the heat on Petra Martic, who didn’t have the power to counter in a 6-3, 6-0 result on Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center.

The fight for making the second week was on, and for Azarenka, getting deep was her constant mission at the open. Historically, the 26th seed has more success than any player left in the top half of the draw, giving her energy to bring back memories of her win against Martic. Though it was over a decade back, the former world number one dispatched the Croatian swiftly. After her recent win over Marta Kostyuk, the 33-year-old had her game in the right gear, hoping to have a better outcome to make it to the round of 16.

She opened the competition, holding Martic to a point before threatening in the second. The Croatian was forced to deuce on serve, but gaining the AD point was not meant for her. Sitting down a short deficit, Martic ran to break Azarenka and consolidated with a serve to love in the fourth. Martic tallied seven points in a row before the 33-year-old got into her serve to hold the fifth.

Azarenka rallied to three breakpoints in the sixth but watched her opponent fight back to force deuce. Refusing to give her an AD point, the 26th seed fought to keep her grip on the momentum and sit two games up. Azarenka achieved a serve to love in the seventh, sitting well to go for the break and the set.

Martic eyed keeping her service in check, but the challenge from the 33-year-old remained fierce. After two breaks, the Croatian held the pace to herself, making it 3-5. The former world number one served for the set in the ninth, fighting off Martic, who saved two set points but couldn’t stop Azarenka from shutting the first down in 44 minutes.

The 33-year-old had a perfect start to the second set, earning a break to love for the second time. Martic went after a break in the second but struggled to gain momentum against the former world number one. After three breaks, Azarenka held firm, indicating that the set was well in her hands. Martic felt the pressure after just two games, and on serve in the third, she didn’t have the power to counter the 33-year-old, who took the break by storm.

After successfully consolidating the serve in the fourth, Azarenka went for another break. Martic tried hard to hold her side of the court, but getting the AD point was a heavy task. The players went four breaks, with the 26th seed charging hard for the win. She finally got it on the final rally, watching a return from the Croatian land wide to make it 5-0. On serve for the match, Azarenka drew the errors from Martic to cruise through her service to love for the victory that took 1 hour and 21 minutes to complete.

"I felt that I played really well today," said Azarenka after the match. “I put my foot on the pedal today and never took it off.” Azarenka had 22 winners and a serve success at 73 percent. “She had a great game with a lot of variety so I knew I had to be the one in control and not to let her kind of move me around even though she did. Changing from defense to offense was I think a pretty good key today.” The 26th seed would need both sides of that to come on Monday facing the winner between Karolina Pliskova and Belinda Bencic.

Petra Kvitova narrowly defeats Garbine Muguruza in heavy US Open contest

Petra Kvitova raises her fist in victory after a dramatic third round match at the US Open against Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza gave it everything she had in an up and down battle but knew she lost to a difficult opponent at the US Open Saturday. Petra Kvitova’s game was far from perfect, committing so many double faults and errors, but dug in through every moment on the court to win 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(10) at Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. It was the sixth win for the Czech against the Spaniard, who got the hint once more that no matter how many points, her opponent had the stamina to pull out the win.

The Spaniard added another victory in the year’s final slam, handling the young Czech in her second-round match Thursday. In her path was the former world number two, who had a leg up on Muguruza, beating her one of the five times at the US Open. They last met in the final of Doha twice, where Kvitova handed the 28-year-old defeats for the title. With a chance to win three matches in a row for the first time since winning the WTA championship last year, the ninth seed eyed a way to stop her losing streak to her rival.

Kvitova started first, allowing the ninth seed just one point in the opening game. The Spaniard beat her opponent with a serve to love but then witnessed the Czech pull off the same feat. Muguruza leveled the score at two-all with her second shutout of the 21st seed. Making a statement was important early for Muguruza, who denied Kvitova a second serve to love. Her smashed shot near the net got her into the score, but the Czech delivered a sliced winner to steer herself to the lead.

Gaining a break in the sixth started with errors from the Spaniard, followed by three forehand winners that made it 4-2 for Kvitova. A break back kept the ninth seed within reach of the Czech, who wanted to keep her pace in check. Muguruza carried the momentum with a six-point streak until a pushback in the eighth stopped a serve to love. The 28-year-old still consolidated for a four-all situation at the business end of the set.

Despite committing a third double fault, Kvitova pulled together the wide serves, helping her lead at 5-4. Getting the pressure on Muguruza was key, but a fight ensued while she held control from her end. Kvitova used her crosscourt as a way to force deuce, but the ninth seed set up the win to go on in the set. Kvitova served for a shot to tie, but her attempts to hit it left failed. She suffered three double faults, gifting Muguruza the 6-5 lead a window of opportunity to steal the set.

The Czech tried to pull some tricks when she got to deuce, but some of her ideas didn’t work out. Muguruza fed off the errors and carried off the set in 44 minutes in a serious change of momentum. Kvitova allowed the set to get away due to six double faults and 17 unforced errors. Muguruza managed to add up the winners to 7, causing the damage as well.

Kvitova was fortunate to take a short break off the court and return to serve the second. She started with a winner before drawing an error for the lead. The Czech landed her fifth ace and placed a winner thereafter to secure the service. Muguruza responded with a serve to love, showing her opponent she remained in charge. Kvitova delivered three aces on serve but faced adversity from the Spaniard.

They held serve through three games until a redirect return for Kvitova in the sixth brought up a break chance. She capped it on another redirect from Muguruza, gaining a 4-2 hold to dig in for control. Kvitova fell behind on serve in the seventh, but getting errors off Muguruza helped her build more confidence while clouding her opponent’s focus. On game point, Kvitova consolidated with a clean winner from the forehand, closing in on the set. Muguruza didn’t worry about the score and focused on getting into game point position to close out her service.

Kvitova fought back to get the errors out of her opponent and force deuce. After two breaks, it was the Czech giving up the break chance, but she had time to get the set under her belt. The 21st seed played the whole court to her advantage, but on set point, she double-faulted on her attempt to ace Muguruza. She managed to keep the mission at hand and closed the second with her seventh ace in 41 minutes. Though she notched 11 errors, making 16 winners against the ninth seed proved that she could make this a challenge, but her ball toss had to improve going into the decider.

Both came in the third, focused, and held through four games, despite some small deficits. Muguruza was the first to break ahead, holding Kvitova to point while serving, and broke her in the sixth, pulling off the same feat. She took advantage of a two-game winning streak, making it three straight for a 5-2 stand on the 21st seed. Unforced errors continued to take a toll on the Czech, as she recorded more than ever against Muguruza, who played for the match and a major upset.

Kvitova struggled with the double fault, notching her tenth of the day, but somehow came through the service. It was up to the Spaniard to serve out the ninth game but double-faulted for her third of the match. She remained ahead of the Czech, who committed her 40th error of the match, but it was opened wide on a terrific return from her end, on the following point.

The pressure was felt by the 28-year-old, who sent another ball into the net, bringing up a break for Kvitova. The Czech got it on a long ball return from Muguruza, who had one game left to end the competition. Kvitova served strong in the tenth, pushing out the errors from Muguruza to complete the comeback of being 2-5 down and back in the hunt. The 28-year-old was first to act in the 11th, gaining a 40-0 lead and holding the Czech to a point.

Kvitova found herself trailing during a critical moment, giving Muguruza a chance to take the match away. The 21st seed made her way back to deuce, but a 12th double fault set up a second match point that went into the net. Kvitova earned an AD point chance to force a tiebreak, but a 13th double fault came from her service. A second attempt came back on a sliced winner from Muguruza, who forced a fifth break. Kvitova got the AD point back to her end, making three a charm and a tiebreak into action.

It was a race to ten points, and through the first six, the score was tied, with Kvitova serving for the lead. A long return gave the ninth seed the minibreak but handed one right back to her opponent. The Czech reached the halfway mark, gaining another on a forced winner. Kvitova achieved three straight points for a decent lead and kept three points between them after gaining eight. She gave up two on balls long of the baseline, putting the Spaniard within reach.

The ninth seed tried to go for the tie but instead handed Kvitova a second match point. It didn’t go as planned when they got into a lob volley battle inside the court, making it nine apiece. Kvitova brought up a third match point, but it went south on an error that opened the door for Muguruza, who saw it close on a line drive winner. It was the one that set up Kvitova for the long-awaited win, scoring the victory in 2 hours and 39 minutes. The two combined 217 points played and Kvitova with 50 unforced errors on the day. Despite that massive struggle, she notched 43 winners and only double-faulted four in the final set to come through by the last two points.

Garbine Muguruza steps into third round in straight sets win at US Open

Garbine Muguruza celebates her second round win at the US Open 

Garbine Muguruza was happy with the results that led her to a second win at the US Open Thursday. The 28-year-old smashed into Linda Fruhvirtova in the opening set, then handled the competition to keep her back in straight sets 6-0, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. The Spaniard handled the tough moments late in the match and put her best to advance forward in the tournament.

The Spaniard did well to improve her offensive output, winning in straight sets against Clara Tauson. Despite not having experience against Fruhvirtova, she would require caution and focus due to the Czech’s strong win over Xinyu Wang on Tuesday. Getting a second win was imperative for Muguruza, who hadn’t posted back-to-back victories in any slam this season.

The start of the set was a bit shocking for the Czech, but more for Muguruza, who watched the competition double fault and lose the service. The early break was consolidated, all while Fruhvirtova struggled with the returns. Muguruza wasn’t at full speed, but the troubles on the first serve for the teen led to another break of serve. She was given no chance to recover as Muguruza served to love in the fourth.

In the fifth, Fruhvirtova tallied just her fourth point of the set, but the service didn’t come around and instead, double faults did. By the time it was 6-0 for the ninth seed, only 19 minutes elapsed, and a clear indication of what the Czech teen had wrong. She posted five points to Muguruza’s 24 and erred eight times while suffering 11 of the Spaniard’s winners.

Fruhvirtova left the court for a moment to try and recover. When the second got underway, she managed to improve with an extra ball to Muguruza here and there, scoring a victory. Breaking the Spaniard proved well as she won 8 of the first 10 points. It was soon 3-0 for the youngster, who looked to completely turn around a bad start and threaten the former world number one. The 28-year-old got on the board in the fourth, but it was still an uphill battle no matter the level of her opponent.

Fruhvirtova pulled off a shutout in the following game, making it look like a third set was on the horizon. Muguruza worked hard on serve in the sixth, digging deep for control of the Czech and notch wins while the opportunity last. After saving three breakpoints in the game, she went after Fruhvirtova in the seventh, gaining two breakpoints before sitting a game down.

Getting even with the teen was not without problems, as she struggled to get the game point. Fruhvirtova climbed back from 40-15 to force deuce but failed to gain an AD point. Muguruza made her pay for that when she committed mistakes that broke her to love in the ninth. She recovered well in the tenth, gaining three breakpoints, but the ninth seed fought back to force deuce. After killing off the fourth attempt from Fruhvirtova, Muguruza produced match points and sealed the victory on her second try to complete her day on court in 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

Belinda Bencic achieves major comeback to win at US Open

Belinda Bencic clnches her fist during a challenging second-round match with Sorana Cirstea at the US Open. 

Belinda Bencic worked her way through a tremendous comeback at the US Open Thursday. Seeing her almost out in the second round, Sorana Cirstea gave the 13th seed a window of opportunity to win it 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Court 11 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. Both recorded many points and were even on winners to unforced errors, but the change in momentum played a role in Bencic’s victory.

Two weeks ago, the Romanian gained her second win over Bencic, winning in a tight three-setter. The early exit put the 25-year-old on a long preparation to be at her best in the final slam. Going against Andrea Petkovic was no easy task, as the German played for her career. Dispatching the tennis veteran took the full run of action, and facing Cirstea again meant getting into a higher gear. The Romanian holds the series lead, and with the recent experience against the 13th seed, she would try to keep her momentum level as she did against Laura Siegemund.

Cirstea pulled off a serve to love as a way of starting the match with Bencic, who held her opponent to a point before holding. The 25-year-old challenged the Romanian on serve, coming back from 40-15 to deuce. Bencic took the AD point and broke for the lead, but gaining a two-game buffer was out of the question from Cirstea’s end. She drew errors out of the Swiss to force deuce and earned the break back on another error.

The Romanian consolidated for the lead after the fifth, feeling confident about her strengths taking shape. Bencic stayed close to remain level with Cirstea, waiting for her chance to get back in front. The 32-year-old didn’t give a line to her opponent and instead broke her for a commanding 5-3 lead. Serving for the set, Cirstea continued to hit the balls right where she wanted them.

She went for a sliced serve that came back wide from the 13th seed, taking the first in 36 minutes. The errors were low from both players, but the Romanian scored 15 of 18 points from the first serve, while the Swiss struggled for a better output. Bencic opened the second set with an important service hold because Cirstea showed no wasted time leveling the score.

Bencic gained the leverage of being ahead on the scoreboard after holding serve, but gaining a break remained a difficult feat. Having only one from the first set, getting a second on Cirstea in the fourth was nearly impossible. They played eight minutes with some of it fighting on deuce until the third break stayed with the Romanian to hold. Bencic smashed a ball in frustration after it was over, falling behind on serve only made it worse. The Romanian broke Bencic to love for the lead in the fifth, further angering the 13th seed.

She kept up the mission to break Cirstea, but the 32-year-old answered her to bring the game to deuce. It was a tug of war with tension on both sides, as either player wanted the win. After saving two break points, Cirstea watched happily, as Bencic erred to give her a 4-2 lead. The Swiss held serve in the seventh to inch within reach of Cirstea, but it was still an uphill fight. Cirstea went back to the two-game buffer, holding together in the eighth, adding pressure on Bencic.

The 13th seed assured herself further time on the court, giving only one point to the Romanian in the ninth. Sitting a game down moved the pressure on Cirstea, who knew that giving any ground during the business end of the set would ruin her chance to get away. The Romanian watched Bencic get a jump on the score, forcing her to fight back. A massive blunder for Bencic came when an easy smash went into the net, leaving her devastated. She somehow saved the game, scoring two points with a line drive winner for a five-all tie.

The accomplishment turned the tables in favor of the 13th seed, who went on a tear of Cirstea. Allowing her opponent three points through two games, Bencic took the second set in one hour and four minutes, assuring herself a chance to be the one in control. She opened the third set, keeping the Romanian behind her on serve. Converting a break was still a tough task for the 13th seed, who forced deuce but couldn’t get an AD point to go her way.

She continued to lead, scoring a winner and an ace that went as her sixth of the match. From the third game, Bencic pulled off a key break in the fourth, before taking a 4-1 grip of the set. Cirstea got a serve locked down, but Bencic held to sit at 5-2, turning the pressure up on her opponent. The Romanian fell behind 0-30 but painted the tramlines to recover.

A chance for her to add another win faltered when Bencic forced deuce on a line drive winner. After a double fault occurred, Cirstea saved it, but on Bencic’s second match point, she watched the shot go into the net, ending a truly successful comeback for the 13th seed that took 2 hours and 27 minutes.

Victoria Azarenka clears her path to the third round in straight sets at the US Open

Victoria Azarenka celebrates a hard-fought win in the second round of the US open against Marta Kostyuk

Victoria Azarenka used her experience and focus, to get through the second round at the US Open Thursday. The 26th seed held back Marta Kostyuk in straight sets with a 6-2, 6-3 score on Court 17 at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. The Ukrainian had 23 winners, but 31 errors allowed Azarenka to conduct her own game and ease into victory.

It was their first meeting and one that had tension due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Kostyuk worked hard in her third main draw appearance, edging Mayar Sherif in straight sets. In the hopes of matching her 2020 run and beyond, she would need to adjust to the level Azarenka brought to the court. The 26th seed almost had a clean breakaway in straight sets when she led 4-1, but a fightback from Ashlyn Krueger, pushing the match to three sets, where the 33-year-old locked down the victory. Knowing that she couldn’t let a slip-up like that happen again, Azarenka had to stay focused and not let the current status of their respective countries get in the way of tennis.

Both got into the motions holding their serve, until the third game when Kostyuk gave herself opportunities to break. Azarenka worked through the fight at deuce, holding after a couple of breaks that denied her opponent any AD points. The 33-year-old had no problems giving back the adversity, earning double break point before closing Kostyuk out on serve. The Ukrainian kept her intensity high, dealing heavy returns at the former world number one. Her push to deuce went four breaks, but each time she blew the breakpoint, she had Azarenka to thank.

The 26th seed gained a 4-1 lead on the Ukrainian, who put together a better service game in the sixth but sat two games down. Playing every point, Kostyuk was on Azarenka until the late part of the seventh, when she hit solid shots that put the threat aside. The 33-year-old kept the offense high, going for the set against Kostyuk, who could only watch her opponent take away the first set in 40 minutes. The Ukrainian had 16 errors and winners, leaving too much room for Azarenka to work with.

She couldn’t shake off her inconsistencies, giving Azarenka dictation on winning 10 of the first 14 points. She led 3-0 on the Ukrainian, who ran side to side, trying to return the cross courts. A double fault didn’t make it easier for Kostyuk, who handed Azarenka another win. A relief for the Ukrainian arrived, getting ahead of the 33-year-old to earn the break of serve in the fifth.

She fought back while on serve, finding the points on redirects away from Azarenka, who ended up taking the air out of her opponent and serve for the match. The Ukrainian denied the 26th seed a way out on serve, gaining a second victory in the set. Kostyuk got into trouble on serve, when she double-faulted, giving Azarenka two match points. She saved both in response, forcing deuce to hold on a return miscue.

The 20-year-old had a lot going right for herself, but errors in the ninth opened the door for the 26th seed to walk away. Using the hard forehands, Azarenka took the Ukrainian out of the competition with a winner to end her day on court in 1 hour and 27 minutes.