The year 2021 will be the year of his return to the top: Garbiñe Muguruza, 5e world player, became the first Spaniard to win the WTA Masters, beating in the final 6-3, 7-5 Estonian Anett Kontaveit (8e), Wednesday, November 17, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The winner of Roland-Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017 ends in the best way this year 2021 with two victories in Dubai and Chicago, after three years away from the top 10.
For her fourth participation in the event, which brings together the eight best players since the start of the year, Muguruza played her first final. Unlike Arantxa Sanchez, who was the first from her country to reach this stage in 1993, finally beaten by the German Steffi Graff, at Madison Square Garden in New York, she did not pass up the opportunity to win it.
The experience of major events
Kontaveit, first-time participant, who owed her presence in Mexico to its thunderous end of the season, marked by four titles won between the end of August and the end of October, was however a rival not to be underestimated. To the dazzling form of the Estonian, Muguruza contrasted her experience of big dates.
She was the best entry into the final, breaking for the first time to lead 2-1, before her opponent immediately returned the favor. A good reaction which did not prevent her from committing too many unforced errors, giving up her commitment again in the seventh game. Muguruza, more solid, was able to pocket the first set, thanks to a superb defensive lob after a long exchange, once again on the service of Kontaveit (6-3).
The latter made sure to force its destiny in the second set, resisting many break points, for its part, to convert one and lead 4-3, then 5-3. But the Spaniard regained her counter tennis and ball length, which destabilized her rival, to win the next four games (7-5) and win in 1 h 39 min.
Garbiñe Muguruza succeeds the Australian Ashleigh Barty, winner in 2019, in Shenzen, China, but withdraws this year. Last year’s edition could not be maintained due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this year’s edition was relocated to Guadalajara for the same reasons.
