Garbiñe Muguruza stayed one step away from reaching the final of the Premier 5 in Rome. Simona Halep, world number two, ended a brilliant career for the Spanish, who had eliminated Stephens, Gauff, Konta and Azarenka and played very bravely against the Romanian, a tennis player who does not give a ball for lost and who he subtracted everything (6-3, 4-6 and 6-4). The double faults (8), some at key moments in a bad day with the serve, largely due to some discomfort in the adductor of the left leg, weighed down Garbiñe's options, who would have won easily had he been a little more proficient in that lot. But with these mistakes, 57% first, and only 58% of points earned with them, the task of beating Halep became impossible. The winner will face this Monday (16:30, DAZN) in the final a Czech, Karolina Pliskova, current tournament champion who beat her compatriot Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 6-4.
Halep didn't wait long to strike the first blow at the start of the game. He did it with an exit break that Muguruza could not respond to. The Spanish had the opportunity later to level the game, but wasted a 0-40 and in the next game he lost his serve again. Then he cut the difference in a character outburst, before the number two in the world broke her serve again to score her sleeve.
Garbiñe asked for a medical time-out and was treated in the locker room. He returned to the court with a bandage on the left thigh, but it didn't seem very depleted. In fact, he had a 30-40 to get to 2-1 and serve, but the option went again by the cathole. As it happened in the first set, Simona did grab her chance and thanks to a double fault from her rival she went ahead again (3-1) in the continuation of a carousel of breaks to which Muguruza finally signed up. He had left and very crazy. The rest clearly dominated the serve. And in that mess the Caracas woman made a profit. His bravery was rewarded. He had no choice but to play open grave and it worked out well.
The tension of the comeback attempt took its toll on Garbiñe, who he found himself in a short time with a 4-0 against in the third quarter, having had a break point in the first game. He had no choice but to play each shot against the rest, but without security at the service he had nothing to do. At last he found her and with another break he put himself in a position to come back. From 5-1 to 5-4, although the attempt ended there, the double faults, again, ruined a remarkable match. Now, with good feelings despite this defeat, Roland Garros awaits him.
“I get a lot of positive things from this week”
“I get a lot of positive things from this week. Today physically I have been far from being at my best level and freshness, also against a player who is physical and even and all without feeling very good I have pushed her to the limit. I have felt that I have been close Despite having a difficult draw, so it is positive. We wanted to play many games at a good level here in Rome so we have achieved that, “Garbiñe Muguruza said at a press conference.
Plans: “I will return home, to Geneva, and I will rest, after a long tournament where there are no days between games, it is very intense, so recovery is important now. To return home, to a certain normality. The conditions of being in a bubble they are difficult and wear out, the fact of not being able to do anything else than play, rest and go to the hotel … so take advantage of two or three days of more normal life to recharge batteries and go to Paris to another bubble that is going to be even longer. “
Paris: “Having played matches is going to help me to face Paris, to arrive shot. Although then it is true that I have played well without having played well before, so it is a bit curious sometimes, it does not guarantee me anything to play well and then do well in the next tournament. Both things have happened to me, so I have the advantage that if I finish badly I know I can play well, and even if I go well, too. But it is better to play games to face a Grand Slam. “
Physical problems: “I have noticed annoyances very quickly at the beginning of the game, and that is hard because you know that a long game awaits you and from the beginning you start to feel that your body is not with you at all. But I already knew it was going to be a tough battle, I knew that I had had quite a few games. I would have liked to reach the semifinals fresher, but I'm happy. I'm not going to overanalyze this game, because despite not having been well, I have fought, and it's fine. I'm happy. “