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Garbine Muguruza was on a roller coaster at the GNP Stadium but found a way to control it at the end of the track. Margarita Gasparyan gave it her all but came up short in a three-set thriller that gave the defending champion a 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-2 result at the GNP Seguros Thursday evening.
Both of them had comfortable victories to start the tournament with the defending champion looking to put up a great title defense in her first meeting with the Russian. Muguruza’s comfort zone and offense were at its best against Elena Ruse to hold her attacks during the opening set. With a new opponent in her crosshairs, the 25-year-old would have to make the necessary adjustments and remain in control.
She played a tough opener with Gasparyan who forced her to deuce wherein the late stages lost her composure to compete for the break. Muguruza clinched it on her second try but couldn’t lock up a break. The Spaniard didn’t let that bother her as she found her niche in the third holding the Russian to a point. It was quickly a one-way path for the defending champion who broke her in the fourth with a surge of power on deuce.
With a third straight game win, Gasparyan called down coach Carlos Martinez to get her quickly back on track. She managed her serve better in the sixth that cut Muguruza’s lead in half but the pace was still faster for the second seed. She made it 5-2 continuing to coast along with the 24-year-old on the hot seat.
She etched out a victory in the eighth to extend the set but Muguruza was on serve where she made sure to make it difficult to end the set in 43 minutes. Despite having 15 unforced errors, the quality was what mattered most from the Spaniard as she eyed to continue her ways.
Gasparyan wanted to start off on the right foot in the second set and got it with a great response holding the 25-year-old to 30. Her attempt at the break was a tough one with Muguruza refusing to give in. She dug in through seven breaks with the Russian to gain her third chance with the AD point to end the longest game. While it got her on the board, Muguruza couldn’t find a way to convert a break giving Gasparyan the edge.
She was soon up 4-1 with the Spaniard trailing more than ever but didn’t make the move to need any advice. She found a way to hold in the sixth sitting two down of the Russian. She gained one more before taking a chat with Sam Sumyk who told her that she was doing well but that she couldn’t give her opponent any more time to gain momentum.
Gasparyan did indeed gain position leading 5-3 over Muguruza with the serve for the set in her hands. The Russian slipped up just enough to give the second seed the break needed to try and even up to keep her hopes for a straight sets result alive. The comeback was complete for the 25-year-old as she held in the tenth to leave opportunities open. Gasparyan made sure to be the first to be in control denying Muguruza a break chance.
The Spaniard was able to still get into the 12th with the win necessary to go to a tiebreak but she would watch her hopes for a quick end fade away. Gasparyan gained a surprising 3-0 lead before her opponent broke serve. It was the only point she would get as the Russian swiftly reached five set points to win 7-1 and move into a decider. It was a 1 hour and 12-minute fight to the brink that ended with Gasparyan having the better serve with minimal errors in the set to have enough to go on.
She opened the third with a break of Muguruza gaining the AD point fast. The Spaniard tried to pay her back but the Russian recovered every break point to win on deuce after two breaks. Muguruza recorded a victory on serve in the third and converted a break to get even at two apiece. After another victory gave her three in a row, she called for the physio to take care of a blister on her foot. She came into the sixth like a new player, scoring a fourth straight with a break to love.
The second seed was on a roll making good of the seventh to hold against Gasparyan and put her in a rough place to serve to extend the match. Muguruza drew errors and scored a winner to sit with two match points. Both opportunities went south as the Spaniard put too much on the return, giving the Russian a chance on deuce. She let the ball get away from her to hand the Spaniard a charm that she didn’t waste. A line drive winner brought it to a close in 2 hours and 39 minutes.
“I worked a lot to take this win,” Muguruza said during her on-court interview. “I didn’t play my best game but I think that she was playing very good and in the end, it was just a matter of fighting and competing very well.”
She’ll go into a difficult competition as her quarterfinal match pits her against Kristina Mladenovic on Friday.
