Garbine Muguruza news: Spaniard laments ‘stressful start’ to year after Australian Open defeat

Australian Open
A pensive Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza made an early exit from the 2022 Australian Open and admitted after the match that the Covid situation within her own camp had an impact on her performances.

The two-time Grand Slam winner was dumped out of the season-opening Grand Slam by Alize Cornet with the Frenchwoman claiming a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 victory in one hour and 27 minutes.

Cornet raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set courtesy a break in game two and then broke in games five and nine of the second set.

After the match Muguruza admitted that it has been a taxing few weeks in Australia after members of her team tested positive for Covid-19.

“It’s been a pretty stressful start of the year with my team. They all got Covid before coming here. We were, like, for 15 days apart,” the two-time Grand Slam winner said.

“It was hard for my preparation to come to the Aussie swing and play and perform well. Physically here I wasn’t also feeling my best. It was a kind of a stressful start of the year I would say.”

The Spaniard added: “Although I had time here to prepare and everything, yeah, the combination of everything didn’t help me.”

Cornet will face 29th seed Tamara Zidansek for a place in the fourth round after the Slovenian defeated Heather Watson of Great Britain 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

“It was a very good match, very right tactically from the beginning till the end,” Cornet said. “It’s been awhile [since I] beat a Top 5 player in a slam, so it’s a really good feeling.

“I really enjoyed it today, which doesn’t mean I will enjoy it tomorrow! That’s why when the fun is here, you have to take it. You never know how you’re going to apprehend, feel the next match.”

Meanwhile, seventh seed Iga Swiatek advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Rebecca Peterson from Sweden while 10th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova booked her place in the third round with a similar scoreline in her match against Australian Sam Stosur, who bowed out of singles after her defeat at Melbourne Park.

Alize Cornet Garbine Muguruza

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