Elise reaches Dubai semifinals
In an absorbing semifinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, No.9 seed Garbiñe Muguruza needed all her focus to hold off No.10 seed Elise Mertens, eventually closing out a 6-4, 7-6(5) win on her seventh match point.
"You have to be all the time concentrated, otherwise she will come back," said a relieved Muguruza after finally putting away an overhead. "I didn't lose the focus even though I couldn't close it [at first] - I was just looking forward to the next opportunity."
In an absorbing semifinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, No.9 seed Garbiñe Muguruza needed all her focus to hold off No.10 seed Elise Mertens, eventually closing out a 6-4, 7-6(5) win on her seventh match point.
"You have to be all the time concentrated, otherwise she will come back," said a relieved Muguruza after finally putting away an overhead. "I didn't lose the focus even though I couldn't close it [at first] - I was just looking forward to the next opportunity."
The Gippsland Trophy champion threaded a pass to save set point in the first set, essayed a dropshot-lob combination down an early break point in the second set, and lasered flat strokes into each corner to fend off the first match point she faced.
With her defensive short forehand slice causing particular damage as Muguruza sought to get over the line, Mertens in fact had a chance to serve out the second set herself. Muguruza was in no mood to let the match get away from her, though. Renewed determination to close out points at net paid off as she forced the tiebreak and came from 1-3 down to capture a hard-fought victory.
"I didn't think I played bad on the match points," assessed Muguruza afterwards. "They were just tough points that didn't come to my side. She was very good in defence and on those points I felt she brought her magic. But I was like, OK, I'm playing well, sooner or later I will convert the match point. I didn't lose the concentration or get too irritated."
Nonetheless, Muguruza was aware of Mertens' propensity for escapes, and knew it was important to seal the win in two sets.
"I was like, man, I have to close it out here," she laughed, recalling her final match point. "I could feel if she got the second set she was gonna be more pumped for the third set - yesterday she also saved some match points and she was hanging in there."
13 March 2021
