Garbine Muguruza misery, second WTA top 10 pro to fall at Roland Garros
Roland Garros 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza has been dumped out of the first round in Paris.
Her 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 loss came just a couple hours after sixth seed and tournament second favourite Ons Jabeur also lost in her opener.
Kanepi, playing Roland Garros for the 17th time in her career, was clearly pleased with the win.
She said in her on-court interview: “I won juniors here so I think because of that it’s always been a special place to play.
When asked what her goal at Roland Garros this year is, she responded: “To win every match I play.”
The Estonian won the girls’ singles at Roland Garros 21 years ago now at the 2001 event, defeating future two-time Major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final.
For Muguruza, this latest loss is just one in a growing collection of poor results in 2022.
After the Spaniard won last year’s WTA finals, Doubles Career Grand Slam champion Pam Shriver backed her to overtake then number one Ash Barty atop the women’s ladder.
However, Muguruza has since claimed a 7-9 win-loss record this season, winning back-to-back matches just once in that period.
10 – Kaia #Kanepi, from Estonia, beat Garbine #Muguruza at her 2022 Roland-Garros debut and now has 10 wins against top-ten players on Grand Slams – her third at the French Open and first since defeating #9 Caroline Wozniacki in the Third Round in 2012. Cool.@WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/wwkIpMiRAS
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) May 22, 2022
Looking ahead at Roland Garros, Kanepi faces Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia next after she ousted Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa in her first round match.
Her best result in Paris is reaching the quarter-finals, a feat she achieved in 2008 and 2012.
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