Garbiñe Muguruza had eventually claimed a match that could already be one of the most entertaining of the year, defeating Daria Kasatkina in the third set tie-break after a very close battle.
After an equally close match in the previous round against Samantha Stosur, the world number 7 needed to save a match point in the tie-break - after wasting one herself - before being able to getting rid of a always improving Kasatkina, who keeps struggling to close out marathon matches; even this time, she had been broken to love when she had the chance to serve out the match.
Nevertheless, both players had shown a strong will to fight until the end, and Muguruza showed her best tennis in the last, more important points that delivered her the win.
Muguruza battles past Kasatkina to claim the first set
All the first part of the match had been characterized by a very close fight, in which both players tried to take the lead but failed to consolidate it. The Russian started with a hold, then she took advantage of a game full of errors by her opponent to claim an early lead.
Muguruza stroke back, breaking back to love right away and holding to 15 with an ace.
The Spaniard’s strike ended soon, as Kasatkina bounced back and saved two break points to hold. Another struggling game on serve from the world number 7, and the Russian reclaimed the lead.
The hawk-eye called out the point that could’ve delivered Kasatkina a 5-2 lead; forced back in the sixth game, the Russian couldn’t close it, and Muguruza took advantage of her opponent’s second serve to convert her third break point of the game. She quickly held for a 4-4 score, often running at the net and scoring important points when she could step inside the court.
Following the momentum, Muguruza took advantage of a huge volley error from Kasatkina at the net that gifted her a break point, and converted it with a forehand winner, getting the chance to serve out the set.
Despite a horrible game on serve that followed, with Muguruza hitting four unforced errors trying to close out points too quickly, the Spaniard bounced back to break Kasatkina to love and granted herself one more chance to serve out the set. This time she didn’t waste it, and despite a good defense from the Russian, Muguruza converted her first set point and closed the set with a 7-5 scoreline.
Kasatkina consolidates an early lead and forces a deciding set
As the first one, the second set started with a hold and then an early break for the Russian, with too many errors from the Spaniard giving her a consistent help.
Once again, Muguruza immediately reacted, and after Kasatkina wasted a chance for a 3-0 lead, she attacked to gain a break point and convert it with a backhand down the line.
Another disastrous game on serve wasted her efforts; the Russian broke again, taking advantage of too many errors from a Muguruza who often ended up hitting the ball out while looking for winners down the lines.
This time, the Russian didn’t waste the advantage, and with a good serving game, closed with an ace, she held to 15 for a 4-2 advantage.
Both players started to show better consistency on serve than they did until then; Kasatkina needed to save a break point while serving for the set, but two forehand errors from Muguruza eased her path and delivered her the set with a 6-3 score line.
Muguruza survives comeback scare, wins the match at the tiebreak
The third set started with the Russian immediately breaking for the lead, but one more time unable to consolidate it right away; the Spaniard hit two good shots down the line to gain and convert a break point to level-off.
Muguruza took advantage of her good momentum, holding her serve despite a double-fault and then breaking Kasatkina to gain the lead in the decider. Another important hold gave her an important 4-1 lead.
Her opponent refused to give up. Despite facing another difficult game on serve, the Russian saved one more break point, and another forehand error from the Spaniard made the 19-year-old earn the first game since the beginning of the set.
It’s Kasatkina’s turn to fight back; refusing to give Muguruza a single chance to increase her lead, she forced another close battle, and another error from her opponent eventually gave her another break back and the chance to level off; after an important hold she kept fighting on every point, rallying back from 40-15 down to score four points in a row and break the Spaniard again, marking a 4 games winning strike and gaining the chance to serve out the match.
Back on serve, the nerves seemed to get the best of the 19-year-old, who got broken to love right away.
Both players set up close battles in the late part of the set, but none of them had been able to impose on the other, leading to a third set tie-break.
The breaker didn’t show as any different than the rest of the match, with both players fighting to take the lead but failing to consolidate it. Muguruza had been the first to gain a match point, wasted by a forehand error; Kasatkina gained one right after, but two forehands down the line from Muguruza saved it and gained another chance for herself. A final error from Kasatkina marked the end of the match, with the world number 4 winning with a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(7) final score and gaining the access to the quarterfinals.
The struggle with her first serve had been crucial for the Russian, unable to make the difference with her second serve; on the other hand, too many unforced errors from Muguruza, often hitting out while trying to hit winners down the line, had put her on risk multiple times during the match, but other well-placed winners had been crucial as well to lead her way to the victory.
Garbiñe Muguruza will meet either Destanee Aiava or Svetlana Kuznetsova for a spot in the semifinals. It would be the first career meeting with the 16-year-old Australian wild card, while she leads the head to head against the Russian veteran with 2 wins and one loss, having claimed the last two career meetings (at last year’s French Open and WTA Finals) and lost the first one.