Spain’s Muguruza claims 1st WTA title
Spanish qualifier Garbiñe Muguruza capped off the best week of her young career on Saturday, routing Czech Klara Zakopalova 64, 60 in the final of the Hobart International to capture her first WTA Tour title.
The 20yearold Spanish hopeful playing in only her second tournament since sustaining a seasonending ankle injury last summer did not lose a set and dropped just 22 games in eight qualifying and maindraw matches in Hobart, capital of the Australian island state of Tasmania.
Her opponent, the No. 7 seed and clear favorite in Saturday’s final, offered some resistance in the first set but was blown off the court in the second.
Muguruza also played well in her first tournament of the new season, winning two rounds before falling to seventime Grand Slam champion Venus Williams 63, 63 last week in the quarterfinals of Auckland.
“I wasn’t expecting to win so many matches in my second tournament of the year, but I knew I’d worked hard,” Muguruza said after Saturday’s championship match.
“When I was at home, I was thinking ‘if I go to the tournament, I’ll fight as hard as I can.’ And that’s what I did.”
With her victory, Muguruza will move into the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time in her career.
The 31yearold Zakopalova, meanwhile, lost for the 11th time in 13 appearances in WTA Tour finals.
Muguruza will now look to keep her momentum going at the Australian Open, which gets underway Monday, although she will face an stern test right off the bat against 24thseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi.