Two top 10 women’s seeds fall in Australia
Muguruza loses to player ranked 61st, while Kontaveit falls to a 19-year-old.
MELBOURNE, Australia — The surprises started early at the Australian Open on Thursday. No. 3 seed Garbine Muguruza became the highest-seeded player to exit at Melbourne Park, just minutes after No. 6 Anett Kontaveit lost.
Muguruza never managed to earn a single break point and made 33 unforced errors, more than twice her opponent’s total, in a 6-3, 6-3 defeat against Alize Cornet in the second round under a bright blue and cloudless sky at Rod Laver Arena.
“A little bit surprised about my level. I am a little disappointed, too,” said Muguruza, who won the season-ending WTA Finals in 2021. “I feel like my shots weren’t as accurate and precise. I feel, also, my aggressive game wasn’t that aggressive today.”
The 61st-ranked Cornet is appearing in her 63rd major tournament — and 60th in a row — but never has been beyond the fourth round. Cornet will get a chance to equal that showing when she plays Saturday on what will be the Frenchwoman’s 32nd birthday.
She called herself “a little bit [of] a dinosaur.”
Kontaveit, who lost to Muguruza in the title match at the WTA Finals, was beaten 6-2, 6-3 by 19-year-old Clara Tauson of Denmark.
“I just went in there believing I could win, but it wasn’t like I have to win,” said Tauson, who will make her debut in the third round at a major against 2019 Australian Open semifinalist Danielle Collins.
Other women advancing included second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and No. 7 Iga Swiatek.
Winners among the men included No. 5 Andrey Rublev and 70th-ranked Maxime Cressy of the U.S. No. 24 Dan Evans moved on when his opponent suffered an injury.