Muguruza sprints past Sasnovich. Cori Gauff ends Abu Dhabi campaign

The 5th seed Garbine Muguruza has been the player to beat so far in Abu Dhabi, toppling Aliaksandra Sanovich 6-1, 6-4 in 80 minutes to race into the third round.

It was their first match and Muguruza made the difference with her first serve and return, suffering three breaks and stealing the opponent's serve seven times from 15 opportunities to march over the finish line. Garbine scored four breaks from as many return games in the opener, controlling the pace and winning it 6-1 following a loose forehand from Sasnovich in game seven.

The Belarusian raised her level in set number two and followed the Spaniard's pace, as they traded four breaks in the opening six games to remain locked at 3-3. Staying focused, Garbine delivered two comfortable holds in the closing stages and clinched a break at 5-4 when Sasnovich netted a backhand to seal the deal and advance into the last 16.

Maria Sakkari defeated the 16-year-old Cori Gauff 7-5, 6-2 in an hour and 28 minutes, beating the American for the second time in as many encounters. The Greek saved six out of nine break points, survived a challenging opening set that went up and down and settled into a fine rhythm in set number two to cross the finish line. The youngster couldn't find the initial shot's pace and gave serve away six times to finish her run in the second round.

The opening set saw seven breaks in 12 games, four for Maria who failed to wrap up the set earlier. Cori survived until 5-5 but lost ground at that moment, dropping eight of the next ten games to propel her opponent over the top.

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