By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 22, 2021
Red-hot Anett Kontaveit dished out bread sticks to Garbine Muguruza after Ekaterina Alexandrova swept top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-4 in Moscow.
Photo credit: @jtbankaostravaopen
The blue Moscow court looked like a launching pad.
A red-hot Anett Kontaveit rode a ballistic serve to rocket into the Kremlin Cup semifinals.
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Kontaveit streaked through seven straight games demolishing second-seeded Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-1 powering into her third semifinal in her last six events.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza took the court knowing a win would clinch her spot in the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, but minutes into this match it was clear Kontaveit was the one going places. Kontaveit cracked six aces and won 17 of 19 first-serve points in a 48-minute blowout.
It was Kontaveit's 19th victory in her last 21 matches as the 20th-ranked Estonian continues to play Top-10 level tennis. Kontaveit scored her 15th career win over a Top 10 player, improving to 2-0 vs. Top 5 opponents in 2021.
On a day of upsets, Kontaveit powered into a Moscow semifinal vs. former Roland Garros runner-up Marketa Vondrousova. The left-handed Czech won 12 of the final 15 games carving up fourth-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-2.
The second-seeded Muguruza followed top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka falling at the quarterfinal hurdle.
Earlier, Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova converted four of nine break-point chances toppling the top-seeded Sabalenka 6-3, 6-4 in 73 minutes.
Playing her first tournament in six weeks, US Open semifinalist Sabalenka won eight of the first nine points building a 2-0 second-set lead. Alexandrova answered soaring through six of the final eight games for her second Top 5 win of the season—she beat No. 2 Simona Halep earlier this season—and her second WTA semifinal of the year.
Alexandrova will face third-seeded Maria Sakkari for a place in Sunday's final. Sakkari stopped eighth-seeded Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4 in today's final quarterfinal.
A jittery Muguruza double-faulted away the break in the second game. A sharp Kontaveit crunched an ace out wide confirming the break with a love hold for 3-0.
A frustrated Muguruza cracked her Babolat racquet off the blue court as Kontaveit wrapped her second straight love hold for 4-1. By then, the Estonian had won 12 of 13 points played on her serve.
Intensifying her onslaught, Kontaveit cracked consecutive backhand winners, including bolting a two-handed return strike down the line breaking for 5-1.
Firing her fourth ace in the corner, Kontaveit closed a commanding opening set winning 16 of 18 points played on her serve in a 24-minute whirlwind that left Muguruza looking a little dazed.
Dialed in on her backhand, Kontaveit was crushing that stroke with damaging effect. Reading a second serve, Kontaveit clubbed a backhand return winner down the line breaking for her sixth straight game and a 3-0 second-set lead.
The 25-year-old Kontaveit was near flawless on serve improving to 38-15 on the season.