Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza booked her semi-final spot at the WTA Finals on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Anett Kontaveit that ended the Estonian’s 12-match WTA win streak.
Muguruza’s victory in her final round-robin contest in the eight-woman season finale denied Karolina Pliskova a place in the knockout phase, despite the former world number one Pliskova’s gutsy 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow Czech Barbora Krejcikova earlier in the day.
Kontaveit was already assured of a semi-final berth after winning her first two matches to stretch a WTA winning streak that included titles at Moscow and Cluj-Napoca.
But it was a must-win match for Muguruza after Pliskova’s afternoon victory, and the Spaniard came out firing, breaking Kontaveit in the opening game.
Muguruza saved the only three break points she faced — two as she served for the opening set and one more as she served for the match. She exploited Kontaveit’s forehand struggles, taking the first set on two forehand errors from the Estonian.
Serving for match at 5-4 in the second she saved a break point with an her seventh ace and claimed the match after one hour and 27 minutes with a service winner to finish second in the group behind Kontaveit. —APP
