Muguruza finds her A-game again

– Unseeded Garbine Muguruza (right) fought back from behind in both sets to defeat racquet-smashing fourth seed Simona Halep yesterday and set up an Australian Open final with surprise-package Sofia Kenin.

The Spaniard, a two-time Grand Slam champion, reached her first Melbourne final with a tough 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 victory at a steamy Rod Laver Arena.

The 26-year-old, who suffered a calamitous drop in form last season, is the first unseeded player to reach the women’s final since Belgium’s Justine Henin in 2010.

“Very excited to be in the final, it’s a long way to go and I have one more match on Saturday,” said Muguruza, the former world No 1 who is now ranked 32.

“I wasn’t thinking that I was down, I was thinking keep going and at some stage you’re going to have an opportunity.

“Luckily I have 48 hours now to recover and get ready for the last match. We train all of our career to be able to play on this court and in (front of) this crowd.”

Halep and Muguruza, who have both won the French Open and Wimbledon, were too close to split in a nervy first set.

In sweltering heat, with play on the outside courts suspended earlier as temperatures hit 38ºC, they grappled all the way to the tie-breaker.

It was the first set that Halep – also a former No 1 – had dropped all week and she reacted by mangling her racquet and slumping in her chair.

Kenin, the feisty American 14th seed, earlier stunned world number one and home hope Ashleigh Barty 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Moscow-born Kenin, 21, had already brought the fairytale run of 15-year-old Coco Gauff to an end in the fourth round. Kenin looked shell-shocked in the immediate aftermath of her surprise defeat of home hope Barty, saying: “She’s such a tough player, she’s playing really amazing. I knew I had to really find a way to win.

“I’m just speechless, I honestly can’t believe this. I’ve dreamed about this moment since I was five years old.”

Kenin had a breakthrough 2019, winning her first three WTA titles and was contesting her first Grand Slam semifinal – AFP