QATAR OPEN Garbiñe Muguruza takes out all her claw to erase ghosts

Garbiñe Muguruza finished 2021 as WTA Finals champion in Guadalajara (Mexico) after defeating Estonian Kontaveit in the final in November. However, the return after Christmas was choking the 28-year-old from Caracas like a bag of powders without a bottle of water nearby. At her premiere in Sydney she fell in the quarterfinals, at the Australian Open in the second round and in Dubai in the round of 16. She almost three months without touching a semifinal. She thus reached the WTA 1,000 in Qatar, a tournament in which she was a finalist last season (she lost to the Czech Petra Kvitova) and also in 2015 (defeat to the also Czech Lucie Safarova).

“It’s an important tournament. I think I’ve played well in the past, I’ve come very close to winning the title twice. I feel like I know how to play here. Hopefully I can use all that experience this year in the tournament”, warned the Spaniard, 7th in the world and 5th seed in Doha, in the preview of her round of 32 match against Romanian Sorona Cirstea (4-0 in the face to face in favor of Garbiñe). Despite the will and the previous plan… Garbiñe started without a punch, apathetic in his shots, with angry gestures, annoyed with the air… 3-0 against and pouring bad feelings. However, Muguruza was determined that the story would change 180 degrees and leaning on her serve began to gain confidence.

Ehe key moment was Cirstea’s serve for 5-2. Garbiñe gave no option and broke despite losing four previous break options in that same seventh game. From there the roulette wheel turned. The Spanish went into the tie break with confidence and took it 7-4 without losing a single point on serve to complete a set in which he won 46 of his 52 serves (26 with the first serve and 20 with the second), despite suffering a break in the Romanian’s only option. yeset up and Muguruza’s gale was already too much for Sorona… despite breaking again in the first turn of the Spanish in the second set. Two break balls in the match, two breaks.

However, Conchita Martínez’s pupil was already plugged in. Six games in a row, including three consecutive breaks to close the match at 1h 28, 30 minutes for the second set for 58 of the initial set suffered. 12 winners and 32 unforced errors to take the victory and move on to round of 16 where she will face the winner between the North American Brengle and the Belarusian Azarenka. “It was a good start to the tournament, although it was difficult for me to get into the first set. I have taken attitude to develop my game, raising the level. I want to especially thank my corner. I dream of taking this trophy home with me after losing two finals here.” Muguruza explained at the end of a match that he carried out with claw and erasing recent ghosts