WTA: Daria Gavrilova: Distortion of competition after a late night victory?

In Rome last night the lights went out very late: At 2:02 Daria Gavrilova turned her match point against Garbine Muguruza. Spicy: She has to work again this afternoon.

Only after Alexander Zverev were Gavrilova and Garbine Muguruza allowed to enter the Center Court of Rome – and the two ladies fought a brutal duel! 5:7, 6:2, 7:6 (6) the Australian finally won after 3 hours and 11 minutes of play. Gavrilova made up a 4-0, 15-30 deficit in set three, won five games in a row and then fell back one break and 5-6. Muguruza gave away her first match point via a double mistake, in the tiebreak Gavrilova fought off the second with the following action…

Gavrilova then took her first chance to win the match.

While Muguruza – the French Open winner in 2016 – is still looking for a sandy form (2018: four wins, three losses), Gavrilova expects a fine match-up against Maria Sharapova. However already today from 16.30 o’clock, only scarcely 14.5 hours after their hard-fought triumph over Muguruza.

In the direct balance of the two it stands one to one; in view of the short recovery phase and the change from night to day match it probably already means before beginning of play: Advantage Sharapova.

The single tableau of the ladies and Rome