2022 is becoming eternal for Garbiñe Muguruza. The Spanish tennis player has been unable to find the best version of herself when the season reaches its final stages. The new disappointment occurred in San Diego, a WTA category 500 tournament from which he also said goodbye at the first change.
A stomach problem ended this Tuesday with Muguruza, who retired in her debut against China's Qinwen Zheng. The world number 13 was losing 0-5 to Zheng in the first set when she requested medical assistance and announced her withdrawal a few minutes later.
The champion of Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017, said goodbye to the first change in San Diego and had a new disappointment in a season in which she has only been able to win 12 games and has 17 losses, a negative balance unbecoming of one of the best tennis players on the circuit. Her best result dates back to last February in Doha, when she was a quarterfinalist.
Zheng, number 28 in the WTA ranking, entered the first round in San Diego as a lucky loser, since the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, Muguruza's theoretical initial rival, withdrew in the American morning due to a health problem. The Chinese player will face Poland's Iga Swiatek, number one in the world and champion this year at Roland Garros and the US Open, in the round of 16.
With the elimination of Muguruza, Paula Badosa is the last Spaniard at stake in San José. Her first rival will be the American Louisa Chirico, number 196 in the world ranking.
The surprise of the day was given by Donna Vekic, coming from the qualifications, who beat Maria Sakkari, fifth favorite, 7-6(3) and 6-1 to advance to the round of 16. Despite the important difference in ranking, with Vekic who is number 77, and Sakkari number 7, the Croatian achieved her third consecutive victory against the Greek and the fifth in seven precedents.
Her rival in the round of 16 will be the Czech Karolina Pliskova, who eliminated the American Caroline Dolehide (n.188), 6-3, 6-4.
Triumphs also for the American Sloane Stephens, who beat the Swiss Jil Tiechmann 6-1 and 7-6(2), and for the Russian Daria Kasatkina, who beat the Canadian Leylah Fernández by a double 6-2. Stephens will be the rival of the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, while Kasatkina will face Madison Keys.
