By Chris Oddo | Thursday October 1, 2015
Garbine Muguruza was too hot to handle for Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on Thursday in Wuhan.
Photo Source: Zhong Zhi/Getty
Garbine Muguruza has found her groove once again.
The 21-year-old World No. 8 defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-2, to book her spot in the Wuhan Open semifinals, bolstering her chances of reaching this year's WTA Finals in the process.
More: Serena Williams Pulls the Plug on her 2015 Season
This year’s Wimbledon runner-up has endured a bit of a slump since her breakout performance at SW19, losing five of seven heading into Wuhan, but in her three matches this week she has shown breathtaking form.
The Spaniard has recorded two bagels and only dropped two games in the other four sets she’s won. Last night she responded to dropping the opener to Ana Ivanovic by winning 12 of the final 13 games. It was her fifth Top-10 scalp of the season.
On Thursday, it was more of the same lethal power tennis from Muguruza, as she reeled off the final four games of both sets to improve her lifetime record to 3-0 vs. Schmiedlova. The rising Slovakian, up to a career-high 26 in the WTA’s rankings, played clean tennis throughout but her inability to strike winners left her vulnerable against the daunting power of Muguruza.
Muguruza struck 19 winners to only 3 for Schmiedlova, which allowed the Spaniard to overcome her 27 unforced errors.
After Muguruza broke for 3-2 in set two, Schmiedlova rallied from 40-0 down to earn two break points but smart, accurate serving from Muguruza enabled her to get out of trouble. The Spaniard then notched her 5th break of the day for a 5-2 lead and served out the match in the next game, closing affairs in 72 minutes.
“You don’t play at this level every day,” Muguruza said, “so for me it’s great to keep playing like this.”
In the day’s first quarterfinal, Italy’s Roberta Vinci backed up her upset of Petra Kvitova with a 7-6(2), 6-3 win over Karolina Pliskova.
Vinci took control of a close match in the first-set tiebreaker by taking advantage of some loose, uninspired play from the Czech. The Italian, who shocked the world this summer when she defeated Serena Williams en route to her first Grand Slam final appearance, kept the momentum on her side by cracking a forehand winner on break point to take a 2-0 lead in set two.
She dropped only four points on serve in the second set and had no trouble closing out Pliskova to set up a semifinal with either Venus Williams or Johanna Konta on Friday in Wuhan.
Notes, Numbers
Muguruza started the week at 11th in the Road to Singapore standings but could finish the week at No. 4. With No. 1 Serena Williams announcing her withdrawal from Singapore, the Spaniard is virtually a lock.
Pliskova entered the week at 10th in the RTS standings and will likely remain there.