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.