Muguruza upset, Jabeur suffers injury scare days before Australian Open

SYDNEY (AFP): World number three Garbine Muguruza was sent packing from the Sydney Classic in the quarter-finals Thursday by clinical Russian Daria Kasatkina, who continued her strong start to the

Garbine Muguruza

season ahead of the Australian Open.

Muguruza had a first-round bye then had to battle hard to topple 40th-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova, before crashing to Kastakina 6-4, 6-4.

It was the second semi-final in as many weeks the Russian has reached after losing in the last four of the Melbourne Summer Set to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova.

Kasatkina is a former world number 10 who bounced back up the rankings to 26 last year after winning two titles and reaching a further two finals.

“It’s very good preparation before a Slam,” she said. 

“At the beginning, I was a bit over-excited but in the end, I was able to control myself and make a few good decisions.” 

She will meet ninth-ranked Paula Badosa for the place in Saturday’s final after the Spaniard fought past Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-3.

In-form world number seven Anett Kontaveit also made the last four after Ons Jabeur, ranked three places below her, retired hurt.

The Estonian won a tight first set 6-4 before the Tunisian called for a medical timeout. After lengthy treatment on her lower back, Jabeur forfeited the match.

It is a big setback for Jabeur, with the opening Grand Slam of the year starting on Monday. She had a breakthrough 2021, when she won her maiden WTA singles title and surged into the top 10 for the first time.

Kontaveit will now play world number four and French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, with the Czech crushing France’s Caroline Garcia 6-0, 6-2.