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Match details
Fixture: (3) Garbine Muguruza vs Alize Cornet.
Date: 20 January 2022.
Tournament: Australian Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $75,000,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv.
Garbine Muguruza vs Alize Cornet preview
Third seed Garbine Muguruza is set to lock horns with Alize Cornet in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open on Thursday.
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Muguruza defeated Clara Burel 6-3, 6-4 in her first-round match. Despite the straightforward scoreline, the Spaniard looked tense throughout the match and struggled at times. Against a more experienced player, the outcome could've been different.
But players often start off slow and find their groove later on as the tournament progresses. Muguruza knows what it takes to go deep in this tournament as she reached the final in 2020, losing to Sofia Kenin in three competitive sets.
Last year, she was in good form but lost in the fourth round to Naomi Osaka despite having two match points. The former World No. 1 will be looking for a deeper run this time.
Alize Cornet, meanwhile, defeated qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-3 to reach the second round of this year's Australian Open for the 10th consecutive year.
Her level in the first round was decent, but there's room for improvement going forward. Cornet's serve was less than stellar against Tomova, which could hurt her a lot in the next match. Her best result at the Australian Open so far is a fourth-round appearance in 2009.
Garbine Muguruza vs Alize Cornet head-to-head
The two have played against each other four times so far, with the head-to-head tied at 2-2. Cornet won their most recent encounter 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Berlin Open.
Garbine Muguruza vs Alize Cornet prediction
On paper, Muguruza is the clear favorite given her experience and achievements compared to her opponent. However, despite her current ranking of number 61, Cornet is a dangerous opponent to face early on.
The Frenchwoman is a fighter and is known to oust top players from time to time. Just last year she defeated 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu at Wimbledon. She undoubtedly has the game to make it a tough contest for Muguruza.
An area of concern for Cornet is her serve, as she won just 56% of her first serve points in her previous match. This was in stark contrast to the Spaniard, who won 71% of such points.
The former World No. 1 uncharacteristically approached the net quite often and enjoyed plenty of success, winning 27 of 35 points. It remains to be seen if this is a tactic she'll employ frequently going forward. Muguruza's forehand, however, remains a liability.
This could be a grueling contest between the duo, but the two-time Grand Slam champion should edge out her opponent for the win.
Prediction: Garbine Muguruza to win in three sets.
