After saving a trio of break points during a 10-minute opening service game, top seed Garbine Muguruza eased her way past Alison Riske 6-2, 6-3, at the Monterrey Open in Mexico.
Muguruza, who is bidding to win her first title of the season this week, managed to break her opponent’s serve four times during the match. Producing a total of 24 winners to only eight unforced errors. During a large positive second round performance, Muguruza’s only blip occurred during the later stages of the second set. Leading the match 6-2, 4-2, she dropped serve for the first time before breaking back immediately.
“It wasn’t easy – I think Alison is a great player, and it’s never easy to win matches,” Muguruza said on-court after the match.
“It doesn’t matter the score, I’m just happy to be in the quarter-finals. During the match, I was playing better and better, and that’s a very good feeling.”
In her third quarter-final of the season, the Wimbledon champion will next take on Ajla Tomljanovic. The eighth seed outlasted Russia’s Anna Blinkova, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, in a two-hour clash.
“I think it’s going to be a tough match,” Muguruza said about her upcoming opponent. “We’ve played before, and I’m looking forward to [try to] reach the semifinals.”
It will be the second time the two players have faced each other on the tour. The first occurred back in 2014 when Muguruza edged Tomljanovic in three sets at the Miami Open. Since then, Tomljanovic has missed more than 12 months of the tour (2016-2017) due to a shoulder injury.
In other matches, Monica Puig booked a last eight showdown with second seed Timea Babos. The Puerto Rican required 77 minutes to overcome Switzerland’s Stefanie Voegele 6-4, 6-4. Hitting a total of 24 winners.
“I’m playing really well, I’m very happy with the way things are going,” Puig said after the win. “It’s going to be a tough match, that’s for sure. [Babos and I] both like to hit the ball pretty big, so it’s going to be an entertaining one.
“I think I’m doing everything pretty well, so I just want to stay the course and have fun and enjoy what I’m doing.”
Babos, who won the tournament back in 2012, survived a three-set marathon in her second round clash. Taking on Great Britain’s Naomi Broady, she battled her way to a 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-5, victory. Babos was unbroken throughout the entire match, saving all four break points she faced.
Danielle Collins, who reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, has also progressed. The American received a second round bye after third seed Lesia Tsurenko withdrew injured. Collins is the only unseeded player left in the draw.
