Muguruza rediscovers form, sweeps past Bertens to reach quarterfinals

The unseeded Spaniard dispatched of 9th seed Kiki Bertens 6-3 6-3 in just over an hour on Rod Laver Arena.

After easily defeating 6th seed Elina Svitolina in the previous round, the former Wimbledon champion credited her fighting spirit as the force behind her recent success.

Her will to win was on full display as she fought back from an early break down to win a fast-paced first set in 30 minutes.

Bertens was immediately broken to begin the second set, but did manage to break back in the following game.

It was to no avail, as Muguruza was a force to be reckoned with. The two-time Grand Slam champion broke her Dutch opponent at 3-2, then again when Bertens attempted to stay alive in the match at 5-3.

Employing penetrating groundstrokes and winning 89% of her first serve, Muguruza simply overpowered her opponent from the baseline. She was also extremely efficient at the net, forcing Bertens to remain defensive for most of the match.

Muguruza now advances to the Australian Open quarterfinals, a feat she last accomplished in 2017. She faces the winner between 2016 champion Angelique Kerber and 30th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

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