Halep served first and wasn’t overly troubled to hold. Muguruza on the other hand trod a hard road in her first trip to the line.
At 30-30, the Spanish backhand was wide.and break point came. Saved when Halep found the net with a backhand. A Romanian backhand winner produced a second break chance. Saved with a forehand put away at the net. A pair of forehand winners levelled things.
At 2–2 Halep had to work hard - her netted forehand and Muguruza winners gave the Spaniard two break points. One saved with a Halep forehand winner. The next with a Muguruza error. Halep held for 3-2.
Serving at 3–3 and 30-30, Halep was all over the place when a Muguruza forehand was fired down the line. Break point. The break came with a backhand put away, set up by a backhand down the line.
Serving for the set at 5-4, Muguruza missed with a backhand, and netted two forehands. Three break points. A backhand hit the net, and it was 5-5.
Muguruza at 5-6 served to reach a tie break. Two Spanish errors and it was 0-30. An ace for 15-30. A wide forehand from Muguruza and two set points. An ace saved one. A Halep error the other. A tie break was required after Muguruza held.
Muguruza won the first point, against the Halep serve.
After five points Muguruza led 3-2, but the next four points all went against serve, leaving the unseeded player ahead 5-4, two serves to come.
A service winner and two set points. A Muguruza forehand was long and one set point saved. Halep hit a forehand winner and it was 6-6.
A backhand from Muguruza was long and Halep had set point at 7-6. Saved with a Spanish service winner. A double fault gave Halep another set point, this time on her serve. Saved when Halep hit a forehand wide.
A Halep backhand error gave Muguruza set point. Halep hit the net and Muguruza took the set 7-6(8).
In set two, Halep struggled to hold serve in game two, saving two break points. Then she broke Muguruza to lead 2-1, converting the third of three break points when the Spaniard found the net with a backhand.
Attempting to consolidate, Halep was 30-30 on serve. Her backhand floated wide and a Muguruza forehand winner confirmed a break back. 2-2.
A Halep forehand winner received a Muguruza backhand winner in response, but errors from Spain gave Halep two break chances. These were avoided, both with aces, but two other break points came. A double fault produced one which was saved with an ace. A Halep forehand winner raised the other, which was converted once Muguruza hit a backhand long.
3-2 Halep.
The Romanian consolidated her position to 4-2, but not before she had to save a pair of break points.
Serving for the set, Halep played her part in an epic game that went to deuce three times and saw her save three break points, but ultimately was won by Muguruza who converted her fourth break point. 5-5.
The Spaniard moved swiftly to the lead 6-5, requiring Halep to now serve to stay in the contest.
Muguruza won the first two points, and with a running down of Halep’s drop shot, to then put away a forehand winner, two match points were created. One was saved, but when a Halep backhand hit the net, it was over.
Garbiñe Muguruza won her place in the Australian Open final, by winning 7-6(8) 7-5.
No comments:
Post a Comment