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Garbine Muguruza US Open WTA 2021
Tennis News, Tennis Tournaments, WTA Tennis Players

Mixed emotions for Garbine Muguruza despite thrashing


In spite of a heavy defeat in the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 Kremlin Cup, other results helped Garbine Muguruza to a season achievement.

The world number number five was in pursuit of a third title in 2021 at the Moscow event. But her opponent Anett Kontaveit was in dominant form, ousting Muguruza in under 50 minutes, 6-1, 6-1.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for the 28-year-old. Her results from Moscow push her to 3250 ranking points on the season. This in turn means that for the fourth time in her career, Muguruza has qualified for the WTA Finals.

Muguruza qualified three times consecutively in 2015, 2016 and 2017, but has not done so since. In 2021, titles in Dubai and Chicago have helped the Spaniard to the event for a fourth time.

With the usual venue of Shenzhen, China off the table, the elite competition has been moved to Guadalajara, Mexico. The eight-player event kicks off on 10th November.

Six women have now secured qualification for the event. Wimbledon and Roland Garros champions Ashleigh Barty and Barbora Krejcikova are two. World number two Aryna Sabalenka and world number seven Maria Sakkari will make their event debuts.

Finally, Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova is set to compete at the event for a fifth time consecutively, having first qualified in 2016.

At time of publication, Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa occupy the remaining two qualification spots, with Ons Jabeur a close ninth.

However, there is uncertainty over whether world number one Barty will compete in Mexico.

She may choose to forego the event in favour of returning home to Australia and resting in preparation for the first Slam of the new year in Melbourne.


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