World number one Simona Halep and fifth seed Karolina Pliskova eased through their WTA Indian Wells openers on Friday but reigning Wimbledon champ Garbine Muguruza bit the dust in the California desert.

Halep beat Karolina&#39;s sister Kristyna Pliskova 6-4, 6-4 while Karolina eased past Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 to reach the third round of the combined WTA/ATP hardcourt tournament.

Muguruza became the first major casualty of the event, suffering a shock 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 defeat to world number 100 Sachia Vickery.

&quot;It slipped away a little bit from me,&quot; said Muguruza. &quot;I&#39;m going to learn a lot from this match. I&#39;m going to watch it and I&#39;m going to see what went wrong.&quot;

Muguruza, who was seeded third here, was named WTA player of the year last year after winning titles in Wimbledon and Cincinnati. The 24-year-old also reached number one in the world in September and was ranked third heading into Indian Wells.

This the Spaniard&#39;s first loss to a player ranked in the 100s since she was beaten by Jana Cepelova (124) at Wimbledon in 2016.

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Incredible turnaround from No. 5 <a href="https://twitter.com/KaPliskova?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KaPliskova</a>! 
 
Tops Begu 7-6(4), 6-1, and will face Zhang Shuai in the 3rd round. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO18?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO18</a> <a href="https://t.co/imHPBUD02P">pic.twitter.com/imHPBUD02P</a>
&mdash; WTA (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/972314602309472256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Muguruza had five double faults and had her serve broken five times in the two hours, 11 minute night match.

Crowd favourite Vickery posted her first career win over a top 10 player as she served masterfully and controlled the rallies with her groundstrokes.

Vickery said the partisan crowd motivated her.

&quot;The atmosphere really helped me even though I was feeling it a bit physically. I kept telling myself &#39;just do your best&#39;,&quot; said the 22-year-old who is making her second appearance in Indian Wells.

Halep roared into the third round by overpowering Kristyna in straight sets.

The 26-year-old Romanian will meet US wildcard Caroline Dolehide who beat Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.&nbsp;

&quot;I was ready to play. I was ready to work and ready to fight,&quot; Halep said. &quot;It wasn&#39;t an easy match. But I am really happy I won my first match here and I get a chance to play again.&quot;

Halep and Caroline Wozniacki have been taking turns at No. 1 this year.

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World No.1 <a href="https://twitter.com/Simona_Halep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Simona_Halep</a> started her <a href="https://twitter.com/BNPPARIBASOPEN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BNPPARIBASOPEN</a> campaign with a bang on Friday! 
 
HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️⬇️<a href="https://t.co/vElpT8IbDM">https://t.co/vElpT8IbDM</a> <a href="https://t.co/FO6cH1rvk5">pic.twitter.com/FO6cH1rvk5</a>
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Denmark&#39;s Wozniacki took the world number one ranking after beating Halep in three sets in the Australian Open final, but &nbsp;Halep reclaimed it from her just prior to Indian Wells.

Wozniacki will play her first match of the tournament on Saturday against qualifier Lara Arruabarrena.

Halep won three out of the final four games in the second set, claiming victory when her opponent sailed a forehand long on the first match point.

Fifth-ranked Karolina Pliskova smashed four aces and won 76 percent of her first serve points in her 92-minute victory over Begu.

The Czech, who turns 26 on March 22, is hoping to improve on her semi-final finish here in 2017, part of a stellar campaign that saw her win titles in Brisbane, Doha, and Eastbourne and rise as high as number one in the world last July.

14 straight wins

Elsewhere, ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova won her 14th straight match to equal the longest winning streak of her career by outlasting Yulia Putintseva 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

Rising star Jelena Ostapenko battled her way into the third round by outlasting Swiss Belinda Bencic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

The 20-year-old reigning French Open champion will next face Petra Martic of Croatia who beat Czech 26th seed Barbora Strycova 7-5, 6-4.&nbsp;

Ostapenko, of Latvia, beat Halep in last year&#39;s French Open final in three sets, becoming the lowest ranked and first unseeded player in history to win at Roland Garros.

&nbsp;

World number one Simona Halep and fifth seed Karolina Pliskova eased through their WTA Indian Wells

World number one Simona Halep and fifth seed Karolina Pliskova eased through their WTA Indian Wells openers on Friday but reigning Wimbledon champ Garbine Muguruza bit the dust in the California desert. Halep beat Karolina's sister Kristyna Pliskova 6-4, 6-4 while Karolina eased past Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 to reach the third round of the combined WTA/ATP hardcourt tournament. Muguruza became the first major casualty of the event, suffering a shock 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 defeat to world number 100 Sachia Vickery. "It slipped away a little bit from me," said Muguruza. "I'm going to learn a lot from this match. I'm going to watch it and I'm going to see what went wrong." Muguruza, who was seeded third here, was named WTA player of the year last year after winning titles in Wimbledon and Cincinnati. The 24-year-old also reached number one in the world in September and was ranked third heading into Indian Wells. This the Spaniard's first loss to a player ranked in the 100s since she was beaten by Jana Cepelova (124) at Wimbledon in 2016. Incredible turnaround from No. 5 @KaPliskova! Tops Begu 7-6(4), 6-1, and will face Zhang Shuai in the 3rd round. #BNPPO18 pic.twitter.com/imHPBUD02P — WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2018 × Muguruza had five double faults and had her serve broken five times in the two hours, 11 minute night match. Crowd favourite Vickery posted her first career win over a top 10 player as she served masterfully and controlled the rallies with her groundstrokes. Vickery said the partisan crowd motivated her. "The atmosphere really helped me even though I was feeling it a bit physically. I kept telling myself 'just do your best'," said the 22-year-old who is making her second appearance in Indian Wells. Halep roared into the third round by overpowering Kristyna in straight sets. The 26-year-old Romanian will meet US wildcard Caroline Dolehide who beat Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. "I was ready to play. I was ready to work and ready to fight," Halep said. "It wasn't an easy match. But I am really happy I won my first match here and I get a chance to play again." Halep and Caroline Wozniacki have been taking turns at No. 1 this year. World No.1 @Simona_Halep started her @BNPPARIBASOPEN campaign with a bang on Friday! HIGHLIGHTS ⬇️⬇️https://t.co/vElpT8IbDM pic.twitter.com/FO6cH1rvk5 — WTA (@WTA) March 10, 2018 × Denmark's Wozniacki took the world number one ranking after beating Halep in three sets in the Australian Open final, but Halep reclaimed it from her just prior to Indian Wells. Wozniacki will play her first match of the tournament on Saturday against qualifier Lara Arruabarrena. Halep won three out of the final four games in the second set, claiming victory when her opponent sailed a forehand long on the first match point. Fifth-ranked Karolina Pliskova smashed four aces and won 76 percent of her first serve points in her 92-minute victory over Begu. The Czech, who turns 26 on March 22, is hoping to improve on her semi-final finish here in 2017, part of a stellar campaign that saw her win titles in Brisbane, Doha, and Eastbourne and rise as high as number one in the world last July. 14 straight wins Elsewhere, ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova won her 14th straight match to equal the longest winning streak of her career by outlasting Yulia Putintseva 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. Rising star Jelena Ostapenko battled her way into the third round by outlasting Swiss Belinda Bencic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. The 20-year-old reigning French Open champion will next face Petra Martic of Croatia who beat Czech 26th seed Barbora Strycova 7-5, 6-4. Ostapenko, of Latvia, beat Halep in last year's French Open final in three sets, becoming the lowest ranked and first unseeded player in history to win at Roland Garros.

Tennis: Halep, Pliskova advance, Muguruza suffers shock defeat

Karolina Pliskova d Veronica Cepede, 6-3, 6-4

Karolina Pliskova beat&nbsp;Veronica Cepede in the first round of Australian Open. She said before her opening match she would donate US$100 of her prize money to benefit sick children for every ace she serves at the year&#39;s first Grand Slam.

&quot;I&#39;ve decided to contribute to a good cause. During the Australian Open, I will donate through my endowment fund US$100 for each ace to help children with oncological diseases. Keep your fingers crossed for me!&quot; the sixth seed tweeted.

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I&#39;ve decided to contribute to a good cause. During the Australian Open I will donate through my endowment fund 100 USD for each ace to help children with oncological diseases. Keep your fingers crossed for me!✊ I&#39;m really looking forward to this season&#39;s first Grand Slam ???????? <a href="https://t.co/MiLF3hHGET">pic.twitter.com/MiLF3hHGET</a>
&mdash; Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) <a href="https://twitter.com/KaPliskova/status/953024579982696449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Her 6-3, 6-4 first-round victory over Paraguay&#39;s Veronica Cepede Royg on Tuesday will see her writing a cheque for $700 already -- she served seven aces.

Garbine Muguruza d Jessika Ponchet, 6-4, 6-3

Garbine Muguruza wore heavy strapping on her injured right thigh as she laboured to a 6-4, 6-3 victory against wildcard Jessika Ponchet in the Australian Open first round on Tuesday.

The world number three took an hour and 24 minutes to quell the virtually unknown 21-year-old French world number 256.

Muguruza said before her match she was hoping to be &quot;pain-free&quot; to begin her Australian Open campaign, but her mobility was hampered and she looked anything but fully fit against Ponchet.

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Routine win for No.2 seed <a href="https://twitter.com/GarbiMuguruza?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GarbiMuguruza</a> 6-4 6-3 over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ponchet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ponchet</a>. She&#39;ll face Hsieh in round 2. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/TSMJS880ia">pic.twitter.com/TSMJS880ia</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/953200812821430272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A quarter-finalist in Melbourne last year, Spain&#39;s Muguruza dropped her first service game but from there battled back to take the first set in 43 minutes.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t easy. I didn&#39;t know anything about her,&quot; said Muguruza of her opponent who was making her first main draw appearance in a WTA event, let alone a Grand Slam.

&quot;She&#39;s super talented. Serves and volleys, so I had to stay very concentrated.&quot;

The Wimbledon champion had a problematic start to the year, pulling out of the Sydney International to protect her right thigh.

Johanna Konta d Madison Brengle, 6-3, 6-1

British hope Johanna Konta showed no signs of her recent injury troubles Tuesday as she dismantled Madison Brengle to continue the dismal US start to the year&#39;s first Grand Slam.

An incredible 12 of the 15 American players on the court on day one were dumped out of the event -- including women&#39;s title fancies Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe plus Jack Sock and John Isner on the men&#39;s side.

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&quot;I was really enjoying being out there. It was a nice day. It was sunny. It was quite a full stadium. There was a lot of people. I kind of tried to absorb the atmosphere a little bit.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/JoKonta91?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoKonta91</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/BziNfmRXx3">pic.twitter.com/BziNfmRXx3</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/953117921986854912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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And Brengle became the unlucky 13th American to head for the exit door after impressive ninth-seeded Konta overpowered her 6-3, 6-1 on the back of eight aces and 37 winners in just 66 minutes on Hisense Arena.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-belinda-bencic-on-first-round-win-over-venus-williams-29570" target="_blank">Watch: Belinda Bencic on first-round win over Venus Williams</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-the-lucky-red-dress-saved-simona-as-she-survives-first-round-29680">Australian Open: The lucky red dress saved Simona as she survives first round</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-wawrinka-zverev-djokovic-progress-to-second-round-29679" target="_blank">Australian Open: Wawrinka, Zverev, Djokovic enter second round</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-sharapova-enters-second-round-after-beating-tatjana-maria-29648" target="_blank">Australian Open: Sharapova enters second round after beating Tatjana Maria</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-roger-roars-in-round-one-29704" target="_blank">Australian Open: Roger roars in round one</a>

&nbsp;

Karolina Pliskova donated $100 of her prize money to benefit sick children

Karolina Pliskova d Veronica Cepede, 6-3, 6-4 Karolina Pliskova beat Veronica Cepede in the first round of Australian Open. She said before her opening match she would donate US$100 of her prize money to benefit sick children for every ace she serves at the year's first Grand Slam. "I've decided to contribute to a good cause. During the Australian Open, I will donate through my endowment fund US$100 for each ace to help children with oncological diseases. Keep your fingers crossed for me!" the sixth seed tweeted. I've decided to contribute to a good cause. During the Australian Open I will donate through my endowment fund 100 USD for each ace to help children with oncological diseases. Keep your fingers crossed for me!✊ I'm really looking forward to this season's first Grand Slam ???????? pic.twitter.com/MiLF3hHGET — Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) January 15, 2018 × Her 6-3, 6-4 first-round victory over Paraguay's Veronica Cepede Royg on Tuesday will see her writing a cheque for $700 already -- she served seven aces. Garbine Muguruza d Jessika Ponchet, 6-4, 6-3 Garbine Muguruza wore heavy strapping on her injured right thigh as she laboured to a 6-4, 6-3 victory against wildcard Jessika Ponchet in the Australian Open first round on Tuesday. The world number three took an hour and 24 minutes to quell the virtually unknown 21-year-old French world number 256. Muguruza said before her match she was hoping to be "pain-free" to begin her Australian Open campaign, but her mobility was hampered and she looked anything but fully fit against Ponchet. Routine win for No.2 seed @GarbiMuguruza 6-4 6-3 over #Ponchet. She'll face Hsieh in round 2. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/TSMJS880ia — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2018 × A quarter-finalist in Melbourne last year, Spain's Muguruza dropped her first service game but from there battled back to take the first set in 43 minutes. "It wasn't easy. I didn't know anything about her," said Muguruza of her opponent who was making her first main draw appearance in a WTA event, let alone a Grand Slam. "She's super talented. Serves and volleys, so I had to stay very concentrated." The Wimbledon champion had a problematic start to the year, pulling out of the Sydney International to protect her right thigh. Johanna Konta d Madison Brengle, 6-3, 6-1 British hope Johanna Konta showed no signs of her recent injury troubles Tuesday as she dismantled Madison Brengle to continue the dismal US start to the year's first Grand Slam. An incredible 12 of the 15 American players on the court on day one were dumped out of the event -- including women's title fancies Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe plus Jack Sock and John Isner on the men's side. "I was really enjoying being out there. It was a nice day. It was sunny. It was quite a full stadium. There was a lot of people. I kind of tried to absorb the atmosphere a little bit."@JoKonta91 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/BziNfmRXx3 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2018 × And Brengle became the unlucky 13th American to head for the exit door after impressive ninth-seeded Konta overpowered her 6-3, 6-1 on the back of eight aces and 37 winners in just 66 minutes on Hisense Arena. Watch: Belinda Bencic on first-round win over Venus Williams Australian Open: The lucky red dress saved Simona as she survives first round Australian Open: Wawrinka, Zverev, Djokovic enter second round Australian Open: Sharapova enters second round after beating Tatjana Maria Australian Open: Roger roars in round one

Australian Open: Pliskova, Muguruza, Konta enter second round

Spanish reigning Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza were shaken and saddened by Thursday&#39;s attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and another 100 injured.

&quot;Shattered by what has happened in Barcelona! All my support for the families affected and the city,&quot; Nadal tweeted.

Nadal&#39;s scheduled third-round match against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters was postponed due to rain.

The 31-year-old winner of 10 French Open crowns captured the ATP title this year at Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros for his 15th Grand Slam crown in June. 
A van driver slammed into crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona&#39;s most popular street, in a daylight attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Police was treating the incident as a terrorist attack.

Sixth-ranked Muguruza, who captured the Wimbledon title last month, learned of the incident during a two-hour rain delay in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over American Madison Keys.

&quot;I couldn&#39;t believe it. I have been so many times to that place, so many times. It&#39;s like a main street with a lot of shops and people,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;I was very surprised because you always hear what happened in Paris and in London, and you&#39;re, like, &#39;Shit.&#39; But now, I&#39;ve been so many times to this place, it&#39;s like my home. And I feel, like, &#39;Shit.&#39;

&quot;I&#39;ve been there so many times. So it really shocked me. Really shocked me.

&quot;I&#39;m just sad for the people that were there. I feel like if you&#39;re in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can happen anywhere.&quot;

Once Muguruza learned of the attack, she called to make certain her family was unharmed.

&quot;During the rain delay. I&#39;m like OK, I was listening to music, I checked for news and stuff, and I&#39;m like, &#39;Oh,&#39;&quot; Muguruza said. &quot;I checked with my family. Everything is OK, but, you know, it&#39;s just incredible.&quot;

&nbsp;Emotional shock&nbsp;

Muguruza said she was able to set aside the emotional shock and return to finish her match, deadlocked 2-2 in the third set when the storm struck. She saved three match points before breaking in the 12th game, then led all the way in the tie-breaker.

&quot;I&#39;m used to putting so many things aside to be able to compete. That&#39;s my every day, putting things aside and going out there and have two hours of concentration of tennis,&quot; Muguruza said. 
&quot;I just make sure that people around me are fine. There is not a lot I can do anymore. Just support the people. Be with them. But at the end I&#39;ve got to go play. And after, we can talk again. But I have to kind of block it for two hours.&quot;

David Ferrer, who also advanced to the quarter-finals, tweeted after his match: &quot;All my solidarity with the people affected in the attack of Barcelona .. Very sad all that is happening.&quot;

And Ramos-Vinolas tweeted ahead of his meeting with Nadal: &quot;Great pain when seeing what is happening in #Barcelona. A part of me is today with you. A hug to all affected families.&quot;

Thursday's attack in Barcelona had left 13 people dead and another 100 injured

Spanish reigning Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza were shaken and saddened by Thursday's attack in Barcelona that left 13 people dead and another 100 injured. "Shattered by what has happened in Barcelona! All my support for the families affected and the city," Nadal tweeted. Nadal's scheduled third-round match against countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the WTA and ATP Cincinnati Masters was postponed due to rain. The 31-year-old winner of 10 French Open crowns captured the ATP title this year at Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Monte Carlo and Roland Garros for his 15th Grand Slam crown in June. A van driver slammed into crowds on Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most popular street, in a daylight attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Police was treating the incident as a terrorist attack. Sixth-ranked Muguruza, who captured the Wimbledon title last month, learned of the incident during a two-hour rain delay in her 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) victory over American Madison Keys. "I couldn't believe it. I have been so many times to that place, so many times. It's like a main street with a lot of shops and people," Muguruza said. "I was very surprised because you always hear what happened in Paris and in London, and you're, like, 'Shit.' But now, I've been so many times to this place, it's like my home. And I feel, like, 'Shit.' "I've been there so many times. So it really shocked me. Really shocked me. "I'm just sad for the people that were there. I feel like if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can happen anywhere." Once Muguruza learned of the attack, she called to make certain her family was unharmed. "During the rain delay. I'm like OK, I was listening to music, I checked for news and stuff, and I'm like, 'Oh,'" Muguruza said. "I checked with my family. Everything is OK, but, you know, it's just incredible." Emotional shock Muguruza said she was able to set aside the emotional shock and return to finish her match, deadlocked 2-2 in the third set when the storm struck. She saved three match points before breaking in the 12th game, then led all the way in the tie-breaker. "I'm used to putting so many things aside to be able to compete. That's my every day, putting things aside and going out there and have two hours of concentration of tennis," Muguruza said. "I just make sure that people around me are fine. There is not a lot I can do anymore. Just support the people. Be with them. But at the end I've got to go play. And after, we can talk again. But I have to kind of block it for two hours." David Ferrer, who also advanced to the quarter-finals, tweeted after his match: "All my solidarity with the people affected in the attack of Barcelona .. Very sad all that is happening." And Ramos-Vinolas tweeted ahead of his meeting with Nadal: "Great pain when seeing what is happening in #Barcelona. A part of me is today with you. A hug to all affected families."

Nadal and Muguruza shocked by Barcelona attack

Spain&#39;s Garbine Muguruza reached her second Wimbledon final in three years with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Slovakia&#39;s Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday.

A visibly confident Muguruza needed just 64 minutes to beat the 87th-ranked Rybarikova, who had beaten third seed Karolina Pliskova and American Coco Vanderweghe on her unexpected run to the last four.

Muguruza, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2015 final, will face the winner of Thursday&#39;s other semi between Venus Williams and Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta.

The Spaniard was 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, her aggressive approach paying dividends against an opponent who looked nervous in what was the biggest game of her career to date.

&quot;I think I stepped on the court super-confident and I played well,&quot; said Muguruza, who is being coached at this tournament by Conchita Martinez, the only Spaniard to win the women&#39;s singles at the All England Club.

The women&#39;s tournament this year has been marked by some fiercely contested and tight battles but this was a disappointingly one-sided affair.

Muguruza appeared with heavy tape on her left thigh but there was no sign of any hindrance to her movement.

Indeed, she was simply stronger in every department, hitting 22 winners and just 11 unforced errors as she won 60 points to Rybarikova&#39;s 33 with her backhand down the line, fundamental to her win.

The Venezuela-born 23-year-old, the 2016 French Open winner, was quick to the net and her groundstrokes flowed easily as she rattled off the first set in just 30 minutes.

Her serve was strong and she was positive in going to the net, while Rybarikova struggled with her serve and found her returns coming up against a wave of attacks from the Spaniard.

Muguruza won ten of 13 points at the net in the first set and that lay the foundation for her dominance in the second.

The Slovak&#39;s first service game of the set was broken, as she went wide on break point and a sizzling backhand return winner down the line, the shot of the match, established another 3-0 lead.

Rybarikova had done remarkably well to reach this stage after a seventh month injury lay-off, getting herself into great form by winning International Tennis Federation tournaments at Fukuoka, Surbiton and Ilkley.

But this was a step too far. Even when she was able to hold in the second, she needed to stave off two break points to do so.

The final point was a rare rally but it ended with Rybarikova finding the net after being forced into the corner by Muguruza&#39;s relentless returns.

Muguruza will face the winner of Thursday's other semi between Venus Williams and Britain's Johanna Konta

Spain's Garbine Muguruza reached her second Wimbledon final in three years with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday. A visibly confident Muguruza needed just 64 minutes to beat the 87th-ranked Rybarikova, who had beaten third seed Karolina Pliskova and American Coco Vanderweghe on her unexpected run to the last four. Muguruza, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2015 final, will face the winner of Thursday's other semi between Venus Williams and Britain's Johanna Konta. The Spaniard was 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, her aggressive approach paying dividends against an opponent who looked nervous in what was the biggest game of her career to date. "I think I stepped on the court super-confident and I played well," said Muguruza, who is being coached at this tournament by Conchita Martinez, the only Spaniard to win the women's singles at the All England Club. The women's tournament this year has been marked by some fiercely contested and tight battles but this was a disappointingly one-sided affair. Muguruza appeared with heavy tape on her left thigh but there was no sign of any hindrance to her movement. Indeed, she was simply stronger in every department, hitting 22 winners and just 11 unforced errors as she won 60 points to Rybarikova's 33 with her backhand down the line, fundamental to her win. The Venezuela-born 23-year-old, the 2016 French Open winner, was quick to the net and her groundstrokes flowed easily as she rattled off the first set in just 30 minutes. Her serve was strong and she was positive in going to the net, while Rybarikova struggled with her serve and found her returns coming up against a wave of attacks from the Spaniard. Muguruza won ten of 13 points at the net in the first set and that lay the foundation for her dominance in the second. The Slovak's first service game of the set was broken, as she went wide on break point and a sizzling backhand return winner down the line, the shot of the match, established another 3-0 lead. Rybarikova had done remarkably well to reach this stage after a seventh month injury lay-off, getting herself into great form by winning International Tennis Federation tournaments at Fukuoka, Surbiton and Ilkley. But this was a step too far. Even when she was able to hold in the second, she needed to stave off two break points to do so. The final point was a rare rally but it ended with Rybarikova finding the net after being forced into the corner by Muguruza's relentless returns.

Spain's Muguruza beats Rybarikova to reach Wimbledon final

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday.

Williams&#39; 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta or Romania&#39;s Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday.

World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year&#39;s Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008.

Williams&#39; victory equalled her sister Serena&#39;s total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player.

She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena&#39;s record to become the tournament&#39;s oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus.

&quot;I love this game. That&#39;s why I put in the effort and the time. It&#39;s a beautiful game. It&#39;s been so good to me,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant.&quot;

&quot;I love the challenge. It&#39;s not always easy dealing with the pressure. It&#39;s only you that can have the answer.&quot;

Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth.

That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion.

Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors.

But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up.

Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot.

After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back.

Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko&#39;s spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win.

Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova.

Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph.

Stormy

Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four.

The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick.

&quot;I played good. I&#39;m trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I&#39;m happy it worked out,&quot; Muguruza said.

&quot;It seems far away since I last made the final here. I&#39;m a completely different player.

&quot;It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here.&quot;

Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.

Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women&#39;s title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year.

Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong.

Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

World number 11 Venus Williams has become the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist in 23 years

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 23 years as the five-time champion brushed aside French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, while Garbine Muguruza powered past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make it back to the last four on Tuesday. Williams' 73-minute masterclass on Centre Court clinched a 6-3, 7-5 victory that made her the most senior player to reach the semi-finals since Martina Navratilova in 1994. The American star, who reached the last of her eight Wimbledon finals in 2009, faces Britain's Johanna Konta or Romania's Simona Halep in the last four on Thursday. World number 11 Williams, beaten in this year's Australian Open final, was knocked out in the 2016 semi-finals and is chasing a first major title since winning Wimbledon in 2008. Williams' victory equalled her sister Serena's total of 86 main draw match victories at Wimbledon, the most among any active player. She will climb back into the top 10 thanks to her Wimbledon run, but breaking Serena's record to become the tournament's oldest champion in the Open era is her sole focus. "I love this game. That's why I put in the effort and the time. It's a beautiful game. It's been so good to me," Venus said. "The competition keeps you growing. You have to get better if you want to stay relevant." "I love the challenge. It's not always easy dealing with the pressure. It's only you that can have the answer." Twenty years after making her Wimbledon debut, Venus was playing in her 100th singles match at the All England Club, while Ostapenko was in only her eighth. That gulf in experience was immediately apparent when Venus broke in the second game and cruised through the first set in serene fashion. Having stunned the tennis world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the French Open last month, Ostapenko was riding an 11-match winning streak at the majors. But Ostapenko, 20, was the youngest player left in the tournament and Venus has scythed through the draw by dispatching a series of opponents almost half her age, many of whom idolised the seven-time Grand Slam champion when they were growing up. Williams was just too canny for the fresh-faced Ostapenko, manoeuvering her out of position time and again before delivering the kill shot. After breaking in the third game of the second set, Williams moved into a 3-1 lead, then endured her only wobble as Ostapenko broke back. Williams was unfazed and shattered Ostapenko's spirit with another break before serving out a commanding win. Muguruza powered into her second Wimbledon semi-final in the last three years with an emphatic 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian seventh seed Kuznetsova. Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, Muguruza has struggled to return to the top and this is her first major semi-final since that Roland Garros triumph. Stormy Muguruza, beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, will face Coco Vandeweghe or Magdalena Rybarikova in the last four. The 23-year-old is being coached by Conchita Martinez, who became the only Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, and the lessons appear to have done the trick. "I played good. I'm trying not to think a lot, just go for it and play my game. I'm happy it worked out," Muguruza said. "It seems far away since I last made the final here. I'm a completely different player. "It means a lot to make the semi-finals again, my breakthrough was here." Following Venus onto Centre Court is Johanna Konta, who takes on Simona Halep bidding to become the first British woman to reach the semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978. Not since Jo Durie in 1984 has Britain had a female representative in the last eight and Konta, hoping to become the first home winner of the Wimbledon women's title since Wade in 1977, has added incentive to go a step further against Halep after their stormy Fed Cup encounter earlier this year. Konta was reduced to tears by what she felt were threats and intimidation from the Romanian fans in Constanta during her match against Sorana Cirstea, but Halep fanned the flames this week when she claimed her compatriots had done nothing wrong. Halep has extra motivation of her own as a victory over Konta will guarantee she takes over from Angelique Kerber as the new world number one.

Tennis: Venus, Muguruza into Wimbledon semi-finals

Rafael Nadal launched his pursuit of a record 10th French Open title in convincing fashion, while defending champion Novak Djokovic eased to victory under the gaze of new coach Andre Agassi.

Reigning women&#39;s champion Garbine Muguruza began her Roland Garros defence with a straight-sets triumph over 2010 winner Francesca Schiavone.

Nadal, who was forced to withdraw before last year&#39;s third round with a wrist injury, brushed aside 45th-ranked Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 inside two hours.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy to be back here after what happened last year. It&#39;s great to feel the support,&quot; said the 14-time major champion.

Nadal broke Frenchman Paire eight times and recovered from a slight second-set wobble when he dropped serve twice in a row to surge into a round two meeting with Dutchman Robin Haase.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s always at the start, happy for the victory. Was not an easy opponent in the first round, obviously. He&#39;s an uncomfortable opponent that already he had some good victories this year,&quot; added Nadal.

Title-holder Djokovic strolled through his opener against Marcel Granollers of Spain, advancing 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

With 1999 French Open champion Agassi in the players box for the first time after agreeing a short-term coaching role, Djokovic experienced some trouble against the world number 77, being broken four times.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s great to have Andre Agassi as coach and as a mentor. I will try to learn as much as I can from him,&quot; said Djokovic.

The Serb, seeking to become the first man in the Open era to win all four majors on at least two occasions, will take on Portugal&#39;s Joao Sousa next.

&quot;Coming to this tournament for first time as a defending champion gave me, probably more than anything else, relief, because the anticipation and the pressure and expectations that I had also for myself but all the other people around me in the last three, four, five years before 2016 Roland Garros trophy was really big,&quot; added Djokovic.

&#39;Earn confidence&#39;&nbsp;

Muguruza&#39;s middling form this season saw her arrive in Paris with just three wins on clay, but the Spaniard dispatched former Paris champion Schiavone 6-2, 6-4.

The fourth seed will meet Estonia&#39;s Anett Kontaveit for a place in round three as Schiavone, who turns 37 in June, bid farewell to the tournament for possibly the final time.&nbsp;

&quot;I cannot believe in the first round we have two ex-champions. Not only that but Francesca is a legend and I was very excited to play on Philippe Chatrier court with her,&quot; said Muguruza.

&quot;I know I played good here before. That doesn&#39;t make me extra confident this year. I think I just have to earn that confidence here, and, like today, going out there, trying to deal with things. That&#39;s what brings me confidence. Not remembering how I played last year.&quot;

Muguruza defeated Serena Williams to win her maiden Grand Slam a year ago, but the 23-year-old needs to return to the final to stay in the world&#39;s top 10.

Second seed Karolina Pliskova won for just the third time in six visits to Roland Garros with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over China&#39;s Zheng Saisai.

Former French Open runners-up Sam Stosur and Sara Errani, the latter coming through qualifying, also moved into round two.

Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic raced through with a routine 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Raonic fired 15 aces and 44 winners to book a meeting with Brazil&#39;s Rogerio Dutra Silva, who saved two match points before overcoming Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in five sets.

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic and Belgian 10th seed David Goffin also progressed, but American 14th seed Jack Sock was blown away in three sets by towering Czech left-hander Jiri Vesely.

Rising German star Alexander Zverev, seeded ninth, begins his campaign against veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco later.

The 20-year-old Zverev defeated Djokovic in Rome a week ago to become the first player born in the 1990s to land a Masters title.

(AFP)

1999 French Open champion Andre Agassi was in the players' box for the first time after agreeing a short-term coaching role with Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal launched his pursuit of a record 10th French Open title in convincing fashion, while defending champion Novak Djokovic eased to victory under the gaze of new coach Andre Agassi. Reigning women's champion Garbine Muguruza began her Roland Garros defence with a straight-sets triumph over 2010 winner Francesca Schiavone. Nadal, who was forced to withdraw before last year's third round with a wrist injury, brushed aside 45th-ranked Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 inside two hours. "I'm very happy to be back here after what happened last year. It's great to feel the support," said the 14-time major champion. Nadal broke Frenchman Paire eight times and recovered from a slight second-set wobble when he dropped serve twice in a row to surge into a round two meeting with Dutchman Robin Haase. "It's always at the start, happy for the victory. Was not an easy opponent in the first round, obviously. He's an uncomfortable opponent that already he had some good victories this year," added Nadal. Title-holder Djokovic strolled through his opener against Marcel Granollers of Spain, advancing 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. With 1999 French Open champion Agassi in the players box for the first time after agreeing a short-term coaching role, Djokovic experienced some trouble against the world number 77, being broken four times. "It's great to have Andre Agassi as coach and as a mentor. I will try to learn as much as I can from him," said Djokovic. The Serb, seeking to become the first man in the Open era to win all four majors on at least two occasions, will take on Portugal's Joao Sousa next. "Coming to this tournament for first time as a defending champion gave me, probably more than anything else, relief, because the anticipation and the pressure and expectations that I had also for myself but all the other people around me in the last three, four, five years before 2016 Roland Garros trophy was really big," added Djokovic. 'Earn confidence' Muguruza's middling form this season saw her arrive in Paris with just three wins on clay, but the Spaniard dispatched former Paris champion Schiavone 6-2, 6-4. The fourth seed will meet Estonia's Anett Kontaveit for a place in round three as Schiavone, who turns 37 in June, bid farewell to the tournament for possibly the final time. "I cannot believe in the first round we have two ex-champions. Not only that but Francesca is a legend and I was very excited to play on Philippe Chatrier court with her," said Muguruza. "I know I played good here before. That doesn't make me extra confident this year. I think I just have to earn that confidence here, and, like today, going out there, trying to deal with things. That's what brings me confidence. Not remembering how I played last year." Muguruza defeated Serena Williams to win her maiden Grand Slam a year ago, but the 23-year-old needs to return to the final to stay in the world's top 10. Second seed Karolina Pliskova won for just the third time in six visits to Roland Garros with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over China's Zheng Saisai. Former French Open runners-up Sam Stosur and Sara Errani, the latter coming through qualifying, also moved into round two. Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic raced through with a routine 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Steve Darcis of Belgium. Raonic fired 15 aces and 44 winners to book a meeting with Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva, who saved two match points before overcoming Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in five sets. Former US Open champion Marin Cilic and Belgian 10th seed David Goffin also progressed, but American 14th seed Jack Sock was blown away in three sets by towering Czech left-hander Jiri Vesely. Rising German star Alexander Zverev, seeded ninth, begins his campaign against veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco later. The 20-year-old Zverev defeated Djokovic in Rome a week ago to become the first player born in the 1990s to land a Masters title. (AFP)

French Open: Nadal, Djokovic sail into round 2

To get to the top, professional tennis players know they have to make tough sacrifices. But at the WTA Finals on Monday, Russia&#39;s Svetlana Kuznetsova took that concept to a new level, chopping off her hair in order to beat Agnieszka Radwanska.&nbsp;

In the second match of the tournament, world number six&nbsp;Karolina&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tennis.com/player/732/karolina-pliskova/">Pliskova&nbsp;</a>came back from a 0-4 deficit in the deciding set to beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-2 6-7 (4) 7-5 in a topsy-turvy battle.

Svetlana Kuznetsova hacked off her own hair with a pair of scissors and burst into tears before saving a match point and beating the defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 1-6 7-5 at the WTA Finals on Monday.

Despite appearing on the verge of exhaustion and close to breaking down, Kuznetsova somehow summoned up the energy to win her opening round-robin match in dramatic fashion, less than 48 hours after she qualified for the prestigious end-of-season championship.

Spectators at Singapore&rsquo;s Indoor Stadium looked on in stunned disbelief when the Russian gave herself an impromptu haircut early in the deciding third set, asking the umpire to get her a large of pair scissors before proceeding to chop off the end of her ponytail and tossing the loose strands onto her seat.

&quot;It was bothering me a lot. I was trying to put it behind my headband, but my hair is very thick and heavy,&quot; Kuznetsova explained.

&quot;When I was hitting the forehands every time I would hit a good shot...it would hit my eye every time and I had struggle. I thought, &lsquo;ok, what&#39;s more important now? My hair, which I can let grow, or the match? I thought, &lsquo;okay, I&rsquo;ve got to go for it right now&rsquo;, and that&#39;s it.&quot;

Radwanska said she didn&rsquo;t even realise her opponent had cut off her locks during the match. &quot;I didn&#39;t even know that,&quot; she told reporters. &quot;Good thing she didn&#39;t cut her anything else. I think hair is not very important.&quot;

Last November, Andy Murray also gave his fringe a trim courtside at the ATP World Tour finals, saying it was getting into his eyes. &nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

In the other match, Karolina?Pliskova?came back from a 0-4 deficit in the deciding set to beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza

To get to the top, professional tennis players know they have to make tough sacrifices. But at the WTA Finals on Monday, Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova took that concept to a new level, chopping off her hair in order to beat Agnieszka Radwanska. In the second match of the tournament, world number six Karolina Pliskova came back from a 0-4 deficit in the deciding set to beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-2 6-7 (4) 7-5 in a topsy-turvy battle. Svetlana Kuznetsova hacked off her own hair with a pair of scissors and burst into tears before saving a match point and beating the defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 1-6 7-5 at the WTA Finals on Monday. Despite appearing on the verge of exhaustion and close to breaking down, Kuznetsova somehow summoned up the energy to win her opening round-robin match in dramatic fashion, less than 48 hours after she qualified for the prestigious end-of-season championship. Spectators at Singapore’s Indoor Stadium looked on in stunned disbelief when the Russian gave herself an impromptu haircut early in the deciding third set, asking the umpire to get her a large of pair scissors before proceeding to chop off the end of her ponytail and tossing the loose strands onto her seat. "It was bothering me a lot. I was trying to put it behind my headband, but my hair is very thick and heavy," Kuznetsova explained. "When I was hitting the forehands every time I would hit a good shot...it would hit my eye every time and I had struggle. I thought, ‘ok, what's more important now? My hair, which I can let grow, or the match? I thought, ‘okay, I’ve got to go for it right now’, and that's it." Radwanska said she didn’t even realise her opponent had cut off her locks during the match. "I didn't even know that," she told reporters. "Good thing she didn't cut her anything else. I think hair is not very important." Last November, Andy Murray also gave his fringe a trim courtside at the ATP World Tour finals, saying it was getting into his eyes. (AFP)

WTA Finals: Kuznetsova chops locks to beat Radwanska

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