Muguruza stuns Halep at Wuhan Open
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E-mail Xinhua, September 23, 2014
Aggressive Spanish player Garbine Muguruza pulled off the biggest upset of the Wuhan Open on Tuesday, rallying from a set down to stun No. 2 seed Simona Halep.
The two WTA rising stars had never played before. Halep seemed to move through smoothly, winning the first set 6-2 in just 35 minutes.
But the match turned on a dime, as Muguruza stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the second set and, after tucking that one away in 6-2.
Muguruza went on to take another four games in a row to finish off the third set and the match 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Facing one of the best defenders in the game, Muguruza managed a positive winners to unforced errors differential in the match, 34 to 33, while Halep was clearly rattled, finishing with a minus 17 differential of 21 winners to 38 unforced errors.
Muguruza had the second-best win of her career over the World No. 2. Her best came at Roland Garros earlier this year, beating Serena Williams, the World No. 1 then, and now.
That wasn't the only surprise in the first wave of matches on Tuesday, with Alison Riske rebounding from a 4-1 first set deficit to take out No. 11 seed Sara Errani in 6-4, 6-4, and Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky surprised No. 13 seed and recent US Open semifinalist Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-1.
In another minor surprise, Elina Svitolina woke up after falling behind 5-0 in the first set and made it past the big-serving Sabine Lisicki in straight sets of 7-6(3), 6-3.
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