Muguruza cruises OSTAPENKO IN KOREAN SEMIS
Tokyo, Sept. 22: Newly crowned world number one Garbine Muguruza trounced France’s Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open.
Earlier, former number one Angelique Kerber won a war of attrition with second seed Karolina Pliskova to book her place in the last four.
Spaniard Muguruza, playing her first tournament since reaching the top of the women’s world rankings, never looked threatened in a one-sided quarterfinal.
The Wimbledon champion stormed to a 5-1 lead before ripping a half-court forehand into the corner to secure the first set.
Muguruza pounced on a short second serve with a murderous backhand to break early in the second and the top seed dealt calmly with fleeting resistance from Garcia.
The ninth seed gave herself Seoul, Sept. 22: Top seed Jelena Ostapenko surged past Veronica Cepede Royg 6-3, 6-1 on Friday to reach the final four at the WTA Korea Open as she continues a storming run of matches.
The French Open champion has not dropped a set since becoming the first Latvian to break into the WTA Top 10 when she advanced into 10th place earlier this month.
a lifeline to level the set at 3-3 but was quickly put in her place when Muguruza beat her with a ferocious backhand pass to restore normal service.
A crunching serve down the middle put Garcia out of her misery after 81 minutes as Muguruza advanced to face either title holder Caroline
Cepede Royg battled hard to keep things close for much of the opening set, but Ostapenko was able to pull away, striking 23 winners and converting four of seven break point opportunities.
“It was a tough match,” Ostapenko said.
The 20-year-old now finds herself her two wins away from what would be the first nonSlam singles title of her career.
Wozniacki or Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova.
“I felt my game was there and my intensity,” Muguruza said.
“I guess I’m always the favourite now,” added the Spaniard, referring to the number one ranking.
“I’m dealing with a new situation and I don’t think it’s right to put pressure
She is now set to face surging Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum, who barreled her way into her first WTA semi-final since Osaka 2014 with a 63, 6-3 upset over no.4 seed Sorana Cirstea.
Elsewhere, Dutch no.2 Richel Hogenkamp saw off 19-year-old Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-4 to move into her maiden WTA semi-final. — AFP
on myself. But to achieve a dream I’ve had since I was a child gives me a lot of confidence and a boost of motivation.”
Kerber, seeded seventh and a former Tokyo finalist, came through 7-6, 7-5 as she repelled some brutal hitting from her Czech opponent in a contest of real quality.
Pliskova, who herself briefly held the women’s top ranking over the summer, produced moments of brilliance at the net but ultimately crumbled under relentless pressure from the German.
One of her eight doublefaults gifted Kerber the first-set tiebreak 7-5 before Pliskova unravelled again at the business end of the second set.
Kerber turned the screw in the 12th game, forcing Pliskova to save four match points before delivering the coup de grace with a vicious, dipping backhand that landed on the Czech’s shoelaces, giving her no chance.
The 29-year-old Kerber, who has slipped back to 14th in the world since winning last year’s Australian and US Open titles, faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The Russian advanced by overcoming another Czech, Barbora Strycova, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. — AFP