Muguruza sent packing by Cornet in second round upset at Australian Open

Thursday, 20 January 2022 at 03:02

In one of the biggest upsets of the Australian Open thus far, World No.3 Garbine Muguruza had her Melbourne campaign ended by French veteran Alize Cornet in the second round.

Cornet capitalized on the Spaniard's inconsistent play to prevail with a 6-3 6-3 victory, shocking the crowd on Rod Laver Arena. The World No.61 obtained the first break after a shaky opening service game by Muguruza, before racing to a 3-0 lead. The crucial break proved to be enough, as Muguruza struggled to develop any kind of rhythm in the opening set.

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Following her lackluster performance in the first set, the two-time Grand Slam champion made a concerted effort to build momentum in the second. Nonetheless, it was Cornet who struck first, breaking the Spaniard to lead 3-2. With Muguruza serving to stay alive at 3-5, the recent WTA Finals champion crumbled under the pressure, losing her service game to love as Cornet escaped with the victory after an hour and 27 minutes.

Muguruza was plagued by errant shots during the entire match, but Cornet remained focused as she forced the third seed into extended points that ended with the Spaniard committing several of her 33 unforced errors. The Frenchwoman will face the winner between Slovenian Tamara Zidansek and Great Britain's Heather Watson for s spot in the round of 16.