Garbine Muguruza will vie for her first title of 2018 – and first since winning Cincinnati in August last year – when she faces TImea Babos in the final of Monterrey.
The top seed at the Mexico event, Muguruza progressed to her second final of the year with a 6-0 7-5 victory over Ana Bogdan in the semifinals.
The 81-minute win over Bogdan marked Muguruza’s fourth consecutive straight-sets win in Monterrey, following others against Renata Zarazua, Alison Riske and Ajla Tomljanovic.
Muguruza took just 27 minutes to claim the first set against the error-prone Bogdan, who settled to push the world No.3 into a tighter second set contest.
'ESE' sentimiento de estar en una final de nuevo. Vamos!!
'THE' feeling of being in a final again. Vamos!!@WTA @Abierto_GNP ???? pic.twitter.com/xFEsogEdd5
— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) April 7, 2018
Babos booked her place in the final with a 1-6 6-2 6-2 win over American Sachia Vickery. The experienced world No.44 also has wins over Marie Bouzkova, Naomi Broady and Monica Puig this week.
Muguruza is the winner of all four matches she’s contested against Babos at tour level but expects a spirited challenge from the Hungarian, who won the 2012 Monterrey title.
“We have played many times,” Muguruza related. “We were 12 years old the first time, so we know each other very well. I haven’t played her since a few years ago, but I see her, I’ve trained with her, I know how she plays, so I hope it will be a good [final] tomorrow.”
Charleston semifinals delayed
It will be a packed final day in Charleston after rain forced the delay of semifinals.
Julia Goerges and Anastasija Sevastova were locked at 4-4 when play was abandoned for the day, while Madison Keys and Kiki Bertens are yet to begin their battles.
It means the final day of the tournament will see semifinal winners return to the court after the doubles final to determine the winner of the first claycourt title of 2018.
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