Muguruza displaying title credentials
MELBOURNE: Garbine Muguruza’s participation at the Australian Open had been in doubt due to illness but yesterday’s demolition of Kiki Bertens to reach the quarterfinals proved she is not only nearing full health but could also be a genuine title contender.
The 26yearold smashed ninthseed Bertens 63, 63 in a little over an hour to advance to her first quarterfinal at Melbourne Park since 2017.
The victory followed a similar 61, 62 thrashing of fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the third round and the unseeded Muguruza said she was beginning to feel more comfortable.
‘‘Starting the grand slam not feeling great it’s not a good feeling,’’ she said of the viral illness that forced her out of a warmup tournament in Hobart.
‘‘[I’m] just adapting to every single day, how my body was, how my matches were.
‘‘I feel like my body is getting healthier [and] I’m happy of how I’m dealing with this.’’
Simona Halep had to be at her counterpunching best to fight off another determined secondset comeback bid from Elise Mertens as the Romanian world No 3 advanced to the quarterfinals.
Halep, a beaten finalist at Melbourne Park two years ago, moved on with a 64, 64 victory.
Halep had lost to Mertens in the Doha final last year when up a set and cruising in the second and the Romanian conceded nerves crept into her game as the momentum shifted.
‘‘Against her in Doha in the final I was leading a set and 42 and lost the match so I knew I had to stay focused until the end,’’ the twotime grand slam champion said.
‘‘To be honest I got a bit nervous at 43 [in the second].
‘‘I had in my head she came back in that match, and I have just to pay attention on every ball, not giving up at all, because she can come back strong.’’
In the men’s draw, former champion Stan Wawrinka emerged from a midmatch loss of confidence to battle past Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev to reach the quarterfinals with a 62, 26, 46, 76 (72), 62 victory.
Medvedev (23) arrived in Melbourne after a 2019 season featuring four titles and a tourleading 59 match wins and went into yesterday’s contest against Wawrinka having won both career meetings at grand slams in four sets.
But the Russian failed to find a way past the battling 2014 Australian Open champion, ending up the highest seed to fall in the men’s draw so far.
Wawrinka, who won the most recent of his three grand slam titles at the 2016 US Open, hit a staggering 71 winners and sealed the contest after three hours and 25 minutes.
‘‘This was another amazing match, really tough to play against Daniil. I lost to him in US Open but today came back strongly on the fourth and fifth sets,’’ he said.
‘‘The level was super high and it was a great atmosphere. It’s amazing to keep playing here. I’m really happy to be able to continue to play at this level here and I’m looking forward to the quarterfinal.’’
Fifth seed Dominic Thiem kept his flawless record against Gael Monfils intact with a troublefree 62, 64, 64 victory to reach his maiden Australian Open quarterfinal.
Thiem went into the fourthround clash against the 10th seed having won all five of the matches they have previously played and did not face a single breakpoint against the Frenchman.
‘‘I think that I played my best match so far of this Australian Open,’’ the Austrian said.
‘‘The score looks way easier than the match was. I think I was lucky to make an early break in each set and then was managing to hold my serve well. I’m so happy because I’m for the first time in the quarterfinals here.’’ — Reuters