Paris: Spain’s Garbine Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the French Open semifinals here Wednesday at the Roland Garros and in the process handed the Russian her worst-ever Grand Slam defeat in six years.
Muguruza, who won the title here in 2016, will now face World No.1 Simona Halep in the semifinal. Romanian Halep prevailed over German Angelique Kerber 6-7(2-7), 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted 136 minutes.
Sharapova’s eagerly-awaited fourth-round clash with Serena Williams never even made it on court Monday as her American nemesis pulled out an hour before the scheduled start with an injury.
This time the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd — at least the ones that could be prised away from their luncheon — got a match, if not a contest, as Muguruza roared to a comfortable win.
Sharapova, back at the clay court slam for the first time since 2015 following a doping ban, walked on court with two French Open crowns to Muguruza’s one and a 3-0 head-to-head record against the reigning Wimbledon champion. An hour and 10 minutes later the 31-year-old was walking off after her worst French Open spanking since she managed only two games against Dominika Cibulkova at the same stage in 2009.
The signs were ominous when the five-time Grand Slam champion coughed up three nervy double-faults in the opening game. Muguruza sensed weakness and pounced for a 4-0 lead.
Sharapova did finally settle, holding serve to love, but Muguruza clumped down an ace to make it 5-1. Even though Sharapova won the next game, Muguruza was relentless in her attack and closed the set with a clubbing forehand that Sharapova fended into the net.
Service breaks were exchanged at the start of the second set but Muguruza is a far steelier player than four years ago and Sharapova did not get a sniff in the next five games as the Spaniard reached her fourth Grand Slam semifinal.
An anti-climactic match ended predictably, with a Sharapova backhand nestling in the net — her 27th unforced error.
Halep was strangely lethargic in the first set against Kerber and made a number of unforced errors. A couple of double faults in the tie-break also did not help her cause as Kerber, a former World No.1 won it comfortably.
However, from the beginning of the second set, the Romanian found the pace and length with her groundstrokes and Kerber turned into a mere spectator. Halep made her scramble on every point and even though the German managed to break her opponent once each in the second and third sets, but the Romanian responded promptly by breaking her opponent.
At a glance
Garbine Muguruza bt Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1
Simona Halep bt Angelique Kerber 6-7(2-7), 6-3, 6-2
