Tag Archives: Simona Halep

Garbine Muguruza Upsets Karolina Pliskova to Reach Western & Southern Open Final

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Garbine Muguruza has taken down the world No. 1 to reach her first Western & Southern Open final.

The 23-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan tennis player and reigning Wimbledon champion beat World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova to secure a place in Sunday’s final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where she’ll take on No. 2 seed Simona Halep.

Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza came through 6-3, 6-2, having set the tone after breaking Pliskova in the very first game.

Muguruza kept the pressure on Pliskova’s serve, securing a key break to lead 4-2 in the second set before closing out victory in one hour and 21 minutes after taking a fifth match-point chance against the top seed.

Halep, meanwhile, could take over from Pliskova at the top of the WTA rankings if she’s able to win the tournament.

Halep had to battle past British No. 1 Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) in their quarterfinal, which lasted almost two hours.

However, Halep coasted through the second semifinal with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Sloane Stephens in just 56 minutes.

Suarez Navarro Defeats Simona Halep to Reach Italian Open Final

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Carla Suarez Navarro is one win away from an Italian affair to remember…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis player beat Romania’s Simona Halep 2-6 6-3 7-5 at the Italian Open to reach her ninth career final.

Carla Suarez Navarro

“It was such a tough match from a physical standpoint,” Suarez Navarro told SuperTennis TV. “The biggest improvement I’ve made this year is in my mind.”

Suarez Navarro, who leads the tour this year in wins with 31, won the opening two games but once Halep settled down she started to dominate the rallies with her precise ground strokes.

Halep reeled off six straight games to take the opening set.

An easy miss off of a bounced overhead in the third game of the following set seemed to rattle Halep’s confidence as she became more tentative, especially on her forehand.

Suarez Navarro took advantage to take the lead as Halep’s frustration became clearly visible after she cracked her racket in distress in the sixth game.

With more time to hit, the Spaniard forced a decider repeatedly running Halep around the court with her breath-taking one-handed backhand.

Neither player could hold serve in the first eight games of the decider before Halep led to lead 5-4.

Suarez Navarro then got her service game together and after breaking again to lead 6-5, finally got over the line with her third match point.

“Her style is to hit the ball very high. It disturbs me, and I couldn’t hit anymore in the third set,” Halep said.

She’ll next face two-time Rome champion Maria Sharapova, who reached the final by overpowering qualifier Daria Gavrilova 7-5, 6-3 in an all-Russian matchup.

Suárez Navarro Makes History While Reaching the Internazionali BNL d’Italia Semifinals

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It could turn out to be a special year for Carla Suárez Navarro…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis player continued her impressive start to the season by defeating No.4 seed Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Carla Suárez Navarro

By outplaying Kvitova, Suárez Navarro became the first player to reach 30 wins in 2015.

“I think that I played really solid. But sometimes I was aggressive, which is important against Petra because she hits the ball so well,” Suárez Navarro said. “I was focused on my game and fighting for each point.”

The measured approach paid immediate dividends, as Kvitova coughed up a succession of early errors to surrender her serve in the opening game. Suárez Navarro held onto the advantage to take the first set before taking complete control with a run of four straight games to start the second.

Kvitova staged a late rally, reducing her arrears to 4-2. But there was to be no denying the Spaniard, who saved the best for last, wrapping up her victory with a deft stop volley and a trademark backhand pass down the line.

Suárez Navarro’s recent run has catapulted her into the Top 10, a success story she attributes to a change in mentality, rather than any technical tinkering.

“I’m playing much more aggressive now. I am also feeling much more confident and just enjoying every match I play,” she added.

In the semifinals she will face No.2 seed Simona Halep, a player she has not beaten in nearly two years.

“It will be tough because she’s playing amazingly,” Suárez Navarro said. “Always when we play we have long rallies, long matches. But you never know. I need to be 100% and it will be tough, for sure.”

Muguruza Pulls Off Upset Win Over Simona Halep at Wuhan Open

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Garbine Muguruza’s list of upset victories is growing…

The 20-year-old half-Spanish-half-Venezuelan tennis player stunned second-seeded Simona Halep by beating her at China’s Wuhan Open on Tuesday, coming back for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory in the second round.

Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza, who beat top-ranked Serena Williams in the second round at this year’s French Open, dropped the first set in 35 minutes but won the first four games of the second set and the last four games of the third to advance at the inaugural tournament.

Muguruza, currently ranked No. 22 in the world, next faces Elina Svitolina in the third round.