Mutua Madrid Open: Petra Martic stuns Garbine Muguruza in first round
Garbine Muguruza crashed out of the Mutua Madrid Open Sunday. The popular Spaniard fell in straight sets to Petra Martic who never let up, securing a 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory on Manolo Santana Court at La Caja Magica.
In front of her home fans, the 25-year-old Muguruza had a point to prove. Things didn’t go well for her during Fed Cup competition and in an attempt to make amends, the world number 20 looked to keep Martic at bay.
The 28-year-old was coming off the back of her first title of the season at Istanbul, holding her in good stead as she aimed to pull off an upset.
Muguruza came out firing with a hold to love. The Croatian, however, fought hard and stayed strong, keeping pace with Muguruza before finding a way to break her in the fifth game. She made sure to consolidate it with a hold in the sixth game. Muguruza though struck back, holding to love and then breaking back in the eighth game.
The Spaniard then won eight of the next 10 points to take a 5-4 lead in the set. Martic knew that she couldn’t let up and played a strong service game in the tenth, saving three set points and eventually securing a hold. Martic then quickly struck, breaking Muguruza again and enabling her to serve for the set.
With the set on her racquet, Muguruza forced the Spaniard on the defensive and took the set in 52 minutes. Despite having more winners than Martic, the 20 unforced errors generated off Muguruza's racquet cost her the set. This was what coach Sam Sumyk alluded to during the changeover.
Muguruza held serve to open the second set as she looked to secure a foothold in the match. The Spaniard secured a break in the sixth game but the Croatian broke back immediately. Muguruza recovered to secure another hold, but she simply couldn't shake Martic off.
The battle raged on as the set score read 5-5. Muguruza made sure to hold and force the Croatian to serve to stay in the set which Martic successfully did to force a tiebreak.
Martic gained a couple of mini-breaks early to race off to a 6-2 lead, eventually closing out the match in 1 hour and 57 minutes.
With yet another big name out of the tournament, it's opened the door for many unseeded stars like Martic to make a deep run. Martic will face the winner of the match between Angelique Kerber and Lesia Tsurenko next.