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The curse of the first-time Grand Slam winner has struck again with French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza humbled in straight sets by qualifier Jana Cepelova in the second round at Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old world No.124 stunned the No.2 seed and last year’s runner-up 6-3, 6-2, marking her second major upset on No.1 Court in as many years after derailing No.3 seed Simona Halep’s campaign at the first hurdle in 2015.
This was just the 5ft 6in Slovak’s third match against a top-10 opponent in as many years. Added to her upsets of Muguruza and Halep she had claimed the scalp of none other than world No.1 Serena Williams at Charleston in 2014. She is building quite a name for herself as a big-name slayer.
“Yes I know. I have some great players beaten so I’m very satisfied,” Cepelova said.
Playing at a level which well belied her ranking, the former world No.50 had already won through three rounds of qualifying and taken down Mariana Duque-Marino in the opening round.
Match-play and confidence were certainly on her side, though neither she nor her support crew had predicted this when she arrived to contest qualifying at Roehampton last week.
“I am really surprised, I didn’t expect two sets,” she said. “I’m here with my coach and two others but our family is at home, I think they would be watching it. Last year I beat Halep on this court and I had great memories.”
Defeat for Muguruza made her the ninth first-time Grand Slam women’s champion in succession not to have featured in the quarter-finals of the following major.
She joins Angelique Kerber (first round), Flavia Pennetta (retired), Marion Bartoli (retired), Victoria Azarenka (fourth round), Samantha Stosur (first round), Petra Kvitova (first round), Li Na (second round) and Francesca Schiavone (first round) on the list.
While refusing to concede she had succumbed to the pressure of being the hunted, Muguruza admitted her energy levels were sapped after Paris.
It is a short turnaround switching to the grass and life has changed for the newest member of the Grand Slam winner’s circle.
“I'm going to learn that you really need to concentrate on how to recover, and don't reach a moment where your energy is too low,” she said. “Especially to play a Grand Slam, and to face opponents that, hey, they're good, they're here, they want to beat you so much. You’ve got to be ready.”
A lethargic-looking Muguruza managed to conjure a break of serve when Cepelova served for the opening set, but the shake of her head towards her player’s box was not one of optimism.
“Today during the match, and after the match ... it's a tough day,” Muguruza said. “I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination.
“I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but it didn't work at all.”
The Muguruza who was seeing the ball like a watermelon when she wiped Serena Williams off the court in the French Open decider was nowhere to be seen on Thursday.
Constantly rushed and caught out of position by the Slovak’s quick hands and flat hitting, the Spaniard did not help her cause spraying the ball to all corners of the net and well wide of the tramlines on crucial points. She never came close to shaking the funk.
She held to love for 3-5 at the 25-minute mark but a limp forehand rolled halfway up the net to hand Cepelova a set point. The Slovak took it 6-3 when a gutsy forehand winner brought up the chalk in the corner.
Cepelova was in no mood to take her foot off the throttle, jumping to 4-0 in the second set after just 15 minutes and with last year’s finalist sensing the match fast slipping away, she changed it up, serve-volleying and sending down a body-jamming serve on her way to a love hold.
Two games later Cepelova would arrive at match point when Muguruza shanked off the forehand wing. She closed it out when the Spaniard slapped one final backhand into the net. She now boasts a world No.1, 2 and 3 on her victim list. The Slovak slayer moves on.
