Splendid Muguruza

Muguruza celebrates the victory against Azarenka in Rome.CLIVE BRUNSKILL / AFP

Rome is heading its final stretch, the silhouette of Paris appears little by little on the horizon and

begins to show those fangs that come out when things get interesting and he has a great incentive ahead.

It is Roland Garros, two weeks away, and that is why the Hispanic-Venezuelan shoots up and sharpens her racket when the present demands it.

This Saturday she had a very tough crossing with Victoria Azarenka, recent finalist in the US Open in New York, and despite the state of grace of the Belarusian and her sudden start, Muguruza ended up rebuilding herself with honor: 3-6, 6-

He started the afternoon in a bad way, because Azarenka found that rhythm and that wonderful rally that he has dragged since the circuit was resumed and canceled it in the first set.

ruled

at will, comfortable and powerful, while Muguruza found it difficult to enter the party and could not find a single crack.

Thick when interpreting the blows and somewhat slow in her legs, she woke up after conceding the first round and set herself the challenge of wallowing the player in the fittest of the moment.

And from purpose to fact.

His head

, his tennis revitalized and he posed a melee without half measures.

Both engaged in a spectacular give and take that led to a constant high exchange of blows: from

to

, a yours of mine settled with 12 breaks and a further dose of aggressiveness by Muguruza.

She remained firm at the most critical moment of the pulse, with 4-3 and

ball

in favor of the rival, and finally the prize was awarded.

He took the serve from him for the last time and won the ticket to the semifinals.

They will be the third he will play at the Rome Olympic Forum, after 2016 and 2017, and the third he will also play this season, having reached the penultimate round in Shenzhen and the final of the Australian Open.

Work, persist and gain consistency Muguruza, who will face this Sunday (12.00, DAZN) a whole bone, Simona Halep.

The Romanian, absent from the North American tour, will arrive fresher thanks to the withdrawal of Yulia Putintseva with 6-2 and 2-0 on the scoreboard.

"

I'm looking for this type of match

"

“It was a very good game on both sides.

She was on a roll, so I had to get my best tennis out.

In the end, I look for these types of matches because I have not competed for a long time.

I have waited for my opportunity and been behind it until I was able to turn it around.

I think I'm playing well in every game and fighting until the end, and I also have a great team.

All of this is helping her reach the last rounds ”, concluded the Venezuelan-Spanish, who in the Italian tournament had previously left behind such players as Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff and Johanna Konta.

In the other crossing, Karolina Pliskova (6-3, 3-6 and 6-0 to Elise Mertens) and Marketa Vondrousova (6-3 and 6-0 to Elina Svitolina) will face.

On the other hand, Novak Djokovic suffered again.

The number one, who paid for the nervousness with one of his rackets, continues to progress by stumbling blocks and this Saturday he had a hard time knocking down the German Dominik Koepfler (6-3, 4-6 and 6-3).

The Norwegian Casper Ruud (4-6, 6-3 and 7-6 to Matteo Berrettini) will be measured at noon (not before 2:00 p.m., Movistar Deportes) for a place in the final on Monday.

It should be remembered that this year the Roman tournament will be resolved one day later than usual, given that the event has overlapped with the US Open as a result of the reorganization of the calendar.