Two-time grand slam champion Garbine Muguruza has returned back to the winner’s circle after defending her title at the Monterey Open in Mexico.
Muguruza, who hadn’t contested a final on the tour since doing so at the same tournament 12 months ago, secured victory in an anti-climatic fashion. Taking on fellow former grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka, the Spaniard stormed to a 6-1, 3-1, lead before the Belarusian was forced to call it quits. It is the first time Muguruza has been able to defend a title on the WTA Tour. Her overall tally now stands at seven.
“I’m very happy with this week,” Muguruza said during her on-court interview. “It’s a great feeling to come back and defend a title. It’s never easy. I’m loving Monterrey a lot and the crowd is supporting me all the time. “
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Azarenka was forced to retire from the match due to a leg injury. A bitter outcome for the former world No.1, who was contesting her first final since the 2016 Miami Open. Earlier in the tournament she scored wins over former champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and top seed Angelique Kerber. It is the first time Azarenka has retired from a match since the Japan Open in Tokyo last October.
“I’ve been very happy that I’ve been able to come here this week; it’s a very special week that I’m gonna remember for a long time,” Azarenka said during the trophy presentation.
“It’s unfortunate I couldn’t give my best today, but I tried my hardest.
“I want to thank my team for being there for me every singles day; we’re going through a lot but I couldn’t have picked better people to go through this journey with.
“I (also) want to say thank you and send all my love to my son Leo; he’s not here with me, but I would love to share this moment with him, because it is a special moment.”
Muguruza’s focus will now switch to the clay-court season. She will be defending a total of 902 points during that period. Last year at the French Open she reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Simona Halep. Muguruza is set to kick-off her clay campaign at the Stuttgart Open, which will start on April 22nd.
Despite the title, Muguruza remains in 19th place on the WTA rankings. Meanwhile, Azarenka has climbed seven spots to 60th.
