By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 2, 2015
Garbine Muguruza fought off Angelique Kerber and an apparent left ankle injury to advance to the Wuhan Open final versus Venus Williams.
Photo credit: Zhong Zhi/Getty Images
High drama collided with high anxiety as Garbine Muguruza required an injury time-out deadlocked at 3-3 in the tie break with Angelique Kerber.
Struggling to elevate on her serve, a wincing Muguruza made one final stand.
More: Venus Williams Defeats Vinci to Reach Wuhan Final
The fifth-seeded Spaniard withstood a gimpy left foot and a feisty Kerber, 6-4, 7-6 (5), in a two-hour, seven-minute test to reach the Wuhan Open final.
"It was a very tough match. I had to do a great effort today," Muguruza said. "I'm just happy to be in the final."
Muguruza, who failed to convert a match point serving for the final at 6-5, said she initially felt pain in her foot in the later stages of the second set and played through worsening pain in the tie break.
“I felt it at 4-something in the second set. Then in the tiebreak I felt something stronger," Muguruza told the media. "So I said, No, no, I cannot wait to get worse. So I just called the trainer. At that moment I said, Okay, Garbine, play. Be aggressive and see what happens.
"You know, I was very, like, kind of brave. I was like, Okay, come on, let's do it. Let's see these couple of points and see if you can close the match. I had a lot of chances to close the match before. I'm like, no way I'm going to lose this set. I did it and it was good.”
Muguruza advanced to her first final since falling to world No. 1 Serena Williams in the Wimbledon championship match last July. She will face Venus Williams for the title tomorrow in what could be a case of surival of the fittest.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion edged Roberta Vinci, the woman who denied sister Serena's quest for the calendar Grand Slam, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (4), in a two hour, 43-minute thriller.
Williams fought through a left leg injury and a testy Vinci, looking a bit hobbled departing the court.
Given Muguruza's left ankle issue, the final could be a battle of banged up bodies and spirited competitors. Williams has won both of their prior meetings—both contested on hard courts—including a 6-3, 6-3 decision in their most recent enounter in the 2014 Auckland quarterfinals.
"Venus is a legend," Muguruza said. "I'll have to go out there and do my best to compete against her. And it's gonna be a great fight."
Today's second semifinal was a spirited skirmish pitting Muguruza's flat first-strike attack against Kerber's precise counter punching. The pair exchanged early breaks. Muguruza broke in the seventh game and consolidated at 30 for 5-3.
Two games later, the 21-year-old slashed an ace down the middle sealing the opening set.
Good fortune and forceful ball-striking helped Muguruza break to open the second set. A forehand that that collided with the net and dropped in gave her break point. Muguruza belted a forehand crosscourt breaking for 1-0. Kerber coaxed a forehand error in breaking back for 2-all.
Muguruza cranked a crosscourt forehand that appeared to touch the sideline. The strike would have given her the break, but both the linesman and chair umpire called the shot out. And with no challenge system in play Muguruza had no recourse. Kerber dug through a demanding hold for 3-2 after 79 minutes of play.
Kerber is committed to holding her ground right behind the baseline. She can repel pace dropping into a crouch and relying on her strong legs and shortened backswings to block back blasts. As Muguruza found her rhythm and began hitting deeper and with more menacing intent, Kerber may have been wiser to drop back a bit, play higher topspin and give the powerful Spaniard a different look and varied spins.
Instead, Muguruza batterered the German into mid-court replies, slamming a forehand winner to break for 5-4.
Kerber has an unsettling habit of playing more aggressively while trailing. She took it to the eighth-ranked Spaniard surging out to a triple break point lead then breaking back for 5-all.
Shrugging it off, Muguruza thumped a smash for break point then played a beautiful attacking point angling off a volley for her third break of the set and a 6-5 lead.
Staring down a break point, Muguruza slid a wide serve and followed with a sweeping forehand swing volley to deny it. An ace brought her to match point. But Kerber wasn't done. Rifling a backhand pass that left a lunging Muguruza crashing to court, Kerber saved the match point only to see the Spaniard save a second break point with an ace. Muguruza made a mess of a high forehand volley, shanking her reply. Attacking again, she was in prime position for a routine forehand volley and badly bungled it wide handing Kerber the break.
Muguruza's response to adversity was her best asset today. Blocking a forehand volley winner for 3-all in the tie break, Muguruza immediately walked to the chair to request treatment for an apparent left ankle or heel injury. About nine minutes later, Muguruza returned to court to serve only to see Kerber crack a return winner off a weak 72 mph serve. Kerber was two points from the set at 5-3 in the breaker but would not get any closer.
Though she could not push up on serve, Muguruza's lateral movement did not appear compromised. Trying to shorten points, she hit three winners in a row for a second match point. When Kerber launched a backhand deep, Muguruza was through to her second final of the season against a Williams sister.
“I think it's a good final,” said Muguruza. “I face her sister in the last final, so is it good to have her again. Williams sisters everywhere. It's good. She's playing good also. She had a very tough match also today. So I think it's a good final.”