Sharapova suffers worst Slam defeat

GARBINE Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1 yesterday to reach the French Open semifinals, condemning the Russian to her worst Grand Slam defeat in more than six years.

The Spanish third seed, who was the champion in Paris in 2016, will face top seed Simona Halep for a place in Saturday’s final. That semifinal will also decide the number one spot next week.

Current world number one Halep made the semifinals for the third time by battling past Germany’s Angelique Kerber 67 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2.

Sharapova, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, suffered her most one-sided defeat at the Slams since a 63, 6-0 loss to Victoria Azarenka in the 2012 Australian Open final.

Muguruza has yet to drop a set in the tournament and claimed her first win over Sharapova in four meetings.

Sharapova, who missed the 2016 tournament because of a doping ban and last year after she was refused a wildcard, was broken six times, committed 27 unforced errors and won just five points on her own serve in the second set.

It was just her fifth loss in 25 Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Sharapova had made the lasteight in Madrid and semis in Rome in the run-up to Paris.

Muguruza pounced on an error-plagued Sharapova start to lead 4-0 with a double break.

Sharapova never recovered from serving up three doublefaults in the first game.

By the end of the first set, the five-time major winner had won just eight points against the Muguruza serve and failed to carve out a single breakpoint.

Muguruza only hit five winners in the opener, which was more than enough against the erratic Russian who reached the quarterfinals for the first time in three years when old rival Serena Williams handed her an injury-enforced walkover.

Sharapova, 31, was broken in the opening game of the second set, which she immediately retrieved.

However, it was just a brief respite as 24-year-old Wimbledon champion Muguruza claimed a quick double break for 4-1, backed up by a hold for 51.

It was all over in the next game when Sharapova sent another backhand out wide. —