Clay court stars book final four spots in Rome
TWO Roland Garros champions, last year’s runner-up and a regular performer on clay have all won their respective quarters finals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Top two seeds, Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova advanced through to the semi-finals, to now take on their respective opponents, Garbine Muguruza and Marketa Vondrousova who also booked impressive wins.
Muguruza’s victory came against the red-hot Victoria Azarenka, defeating the Belarusian in a battle of two-time Grand Slam winners and former world number ones, 3-6 6-3 6-4. The match lasted two hours and 19 minutes in what was strangely only the second completed meeting between the pair, and first in four years since Azarenka got the better of the Spaniard at Miami in 2016. They have played three other matches since then, but even stranger, all three have ended with a retirement.
“I think it was a tough match. I knew it was going to be a tough match. “She’s a good player, she’s playing good, she’s with a lot of confidence,” Muguruza said post-match.
“I knew it was going to be a tough battle. “I was ready for it. “I stood behind her and waiting for my opportunities. “She was playing great at the beginning. “She took the first set. “I kept myself together and said, ‘Okay, let’s start another battle in the second set.'”
“I finished at midnight yesterday, so it was kind of tough and I didn’t sleep much. “I think I played an amazing match today. “I didn’t even expect this, but I’m just happy to be through and happy with this win,” Vondrousova said post-match.
“I didn’t do so many errors, and I hit so many great drop shots. I also served really well, and overall, I think I played a great match today. “She’s a great player and she beat me three times already. “She’s a great runner, she hits hard and serves really well, but I think I just played better today.”
Awaiting her in the semi-finals is defending champion and world number three, Pliskova who defeated 11th seed Elise Mertens in three sets to book her spot in the final four. Pliskova won 6-3 3-6 6-0 to shake off the Belgian in two hours and eight minutes, winning the last six games of the match.
“I think I played a great match. Even the second set I think there was some good moments,” Pliskova said post-match. “But just started way too strong in the third, and I think definitely was maybe one of the best matches of course of this season, but it’s not so difficult because there was not many matches. “I felt great. Especially the first set I think was maybe one of my best sets that I have played on clay ever.”
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