When Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza take to court for Thursday’s second women’s semifinal, both players will have half an eye on a piece of potential history which could await them on Saturday night.
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For both women, claiming the Australian Open title would take them a step closer to the coveted career Grand Slam, a feat which only two female players have achieved since the turn of the century – Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
Halep and Muguruza have each triumphed on the clay of Roland Garros and the grass of Wimbledon, but hard court major glory has eluded both. Of the two, Halep has come closer in the past – reaching the Australian Open 2018 final and the US Open 2015 semifinals – while this is the first time Muguruza has made the last four of either hard court slam.
Halep was the cagier of the duo when asked by journalists about the prospect of completing three quarters of a career slam, replying, “Any Grand Slam, it's a priority. I will not just choose one. But, of course, it's going to be great if I will be able to win one on hard court.”
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However, Muguruza agreed that winning all four is an ambition for her and coach Conchita Martinez, admitting that she feels a certain pressure to make progress towards this goal with every passing year.
“I feel like every player has this desire,” she said. “To be able to win the whole four, it’s incredible. I don't think about it all the time, but I do feel like, ’Okay, I don't have 20 more Australian Opens to play.’ Every time I come here, I'm like super concentrated, thinking, ‘Okay, how far can I go this year?’”
While Halep has been in outstanding form all tournament, reaching the last four without dropping a set, it is Muguruza who leads 3-2 on their head-to-head, and leading pundits feel that the Spaniard’s heavier hitting may just give her the edge.
“It’s great to see Muguruza back because she really had a tough year last year and we know that she belongs up there,” said former world No.7 Barbara Schett who is anchoring Eurosport’s flagship Game, Schett & Mats show at the Australian Open.
“Garbine is moving a lot better than she has been, gets a lot of free points on her serve, so maybe that will make a difference. There’s probably a little more pressure on Halep going into this match because she’s much better ranked and Muguruza is just finding her form again. Muguruza is a little more powerful, she can win points quicker than Halep, she doesn’t mind coming to the net. If she plays top of her level, I think she has more weapons.”
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Schett also agrees that if either Halep or Muguruza do go on to win their third Grand Slam title in the next couple of days, it could greatly elevate their profile, both within the game and to the wider sporting public.
While the men’s game has enjoyed an undoubted boost from the dominant exploits of the Big Three over the past decade and a half, women’s tennis has been defined by a lack of consistent Grand Slam winners, with the exception of Williams.
Over the past four years, the 16 Grand Slams available have been shared between 10 different players, few of whom have gone on to establish themselves as serial winners.
“If you can win on clay, grass and hard courts, it shows you were a consistent player,” said Schett.
“We’ve seen it a few times that players win one or two slams, but not more. There’s not really been consistency. But a third title for Halep or Muguruza would be amazing. That would put them to another level.”