AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Muguruza outfoxed by Hsieh, Pera sends Konta out

  • TENNIS-AUS-OPEN
    Bernarda Pera of the US hits a return against Britain's Johanna Konta during their women's singles second round match | AFP
  • TENNIS-AUS-OPEN
    Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei hits a return during their women's singles second round match against Spain's Garbine Muguruza | AFP
  • TENNIS-AUSOPEN/
    Garbine Muguruza of Spain waves as she leaves after her second round loss | Reuters

Third seed Garbine Muguruza became the latest big-name casualty at the Australian Open as she lost 7-6(1) 6-4 in the second round to tricky Taiwanese doubles specialist Hsieh Su-wei on Thursday.

In the searing heat on Rod Laver Arena, the powerful Wimbledon champion never got to grips with 88th-ranked Hsieh’s unusual game style and looked totally perplexed by the end.

Meanwhile, world number 123 Bernarda Pera sent ninth seed Johanna Konta tumbling out of the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a 6-4 7-5 upset in blazing sunshine on court two.

Konta's lacklustre serving display allowed left-hander Pera ample opportunity to showcase her powerful returns off both sides and the 23-year-old American duly delivered.

A single break of serve for 5-4 was enough to sew up the first set after 39 minutes when Konta sent a backhand long and lucky loser Pera was soon over the Briton’s serve in the second.

Konta, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park in 2016 and quarter-finalist last year, saved four match points but Pera was not to be denied and set up a meeting with Barbora Strycova when the Briton fluffed an overhead volley.

Early upsets

Muguruza had battled back from 5-2 down in the opening set but 32-year-old Hsieh, who plays double-handed on both sides, pulled out all the stops to take the tiebreak 7-1.

Hsieh pulled clear in the second set with her relentless accuracy but faltered with the winning line in sight, dropping serve at 5-2.

Muguruza double-faulted at deuce in the next game to give Hsieh a match point but survived and held serve to ask the question of Hsieh’s nerve for a second time.

There would be no escape this time as Hsieh guided away a backhand winner on her second match point to claim the biggest singles victory of her 17-year career.

Muguruza and Johanna Konta join other seeds Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Coco Vandeweghe and Kristina Mladenovic as early departures from the women’s draw.

Hsieh will face Poland’s 26th seed Agnieszka Radwanska for a place in the fourth round of a grand slam singles for only the second time, having reached that stage 10 years ago here.

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