Tag Archives: Mónica Puig

Puig Beats Garbine Muguruza to Reach Quarterfinals at the 2016 Rio Games

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2016 Rio Games

Monica Puig is one step closer to gold…

The 22-year-old Puerto Rican tennis player, competing in her first Olympics, routed French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday to reach the 2016 Rio Games quarterfinals, notching the biggest win of her career.

Monica Puig

“You just go in shock,” she said.

Even with the big lead, keeping it together through those last couple of games was tricky.

“You start getting emotional, and there’s no hiding it,” Puig said. “You start feeling those butterflies, those nerves. It’s all of that coming out.

Ranked 34th in the world, Puig has never reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam. Now she’s two wins from an Olympic medal.

She’ll face a player with a similar ranking for a spot in the semifinals: No. 32 Laura Siegemund, a 28-year-old German who is having a career year. Siegemund won her first WTA title at the Swedish Open last month.

At the 2013 French Open, Puig became the first woman representing Puerto Rico to reach the third round at a major in the Open era, which began in 1968. But at her first Olympics, her nationality takes on much more resonance.

“When I’m playing in the WTA, it’s more like I’m playing for myself — my job, let’s say,” she said. “Here, it’s not really my job. It’s for my country, and I think nothing in the world can compare to that. It’s the most special feeling when you put on your colors of your country and you’re walking around the Olympic Village and everybody looks to see your country on the back of your shirt.”

Muguruza is already a major champion. But after beating Serena Williams in the final at Roland Garros for her first Grand Slam title, the Spaniard lost in the second round at Wimbledon. She had 29 unforced errors to 15 winners on Tuesday.

Puig Reaches Eastbourne International Semifinals

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Monica Puig is more than qualified…

The 22-year-old Puerto Rican tennis player has became the first qualifier to reach the Eastbourne International semifinals in three years.

Monica Puig

It took Puig nearly three hours to get there on Thursday, but she managed to get it done.

Puig needed 2 hours, 43 minutes to overcome Kristina Mladenovic of France 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3, and become the first qualifier in the semis since American Jamie Hampton in 2013.

Both players struggled to hold serve, with Puig facing 23 break points in the match and Mladenovic 13.

Mladenovic broke three times in the opening set and led 5-4, but each time allowed her opponent to break back in the following game before failing to convert a set point in the tiebreaker.

In the second set, Mladenovic also failed to win three set points at 5-2 and to serve out the set at 5-3 before breaking in the 10th game. In the final set, Puig broke in the first and final games to secure victory.

“We were both putting so much pressure on each other’s serves,” Puig said. “So it was just staying mentally tough.”

Puig Becomes First Puerto Rican to Win a WTA Title…

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Monica Puig is earned her place in the annals for tennis history…

The 20-year-old professional tennis player, considered a rising star in women’s tennis, defeated Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-4, 6-3 in the Strasbourg International final to become the first Puerto Rican player to win a WTA title.

Monica Puig

“It’s amazing to do this coming from such a small island, where tennis isn’t necessarily recognized as one of the main sports,” said Puig after her straight-sets victory. “I’m just happy I’m able to be here playing tennis not only for myself, but for my country too.”

In a match between two players appearing in their first WTA final, the Puig was on top from the start as she broke Soler-Espinosa in her first service game. She also broke twice in the second set, including in the final game.

Puig dropped just nine points on serve all match, two of which were double-faults.

“I woke up this morning and I felt it. I felt I was going to do something amazing,” said Puig, currently ranked No. 56 in the world. “It was one of those feelings where you just know it’s going to happen, and I played some of the greatest tennis I’ve ever played.”

Puig next heads to the French Open where she’ll face off against 2010 finalist Sam Stosur in the first round.

Soler-Espinosa faces Chanelle Scheepers at Roland Garros.

Puig Reaches Her First-Ever WTA Final at the Internationaux de Strasbourg

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Monica Puig is thisclose to earning her first WTA title…

In a semifinal showdown featuring two of the WTA‘s rising stars, the 20-year-old Puerto Rican pro tennis player beat 19-year-old American Madison Keys at the Internationaux de Strasbourg to reach her first WTA final.

Monica Puig

Puig, who was competing in her first WTA semifinal, won four straight games down a break at 3-2 in the second set for a 7-5, 6-3 triumph – her eighth over a Top 50 player.

“It was a really tough match against Madison,” said Puig, currently ranked No. 56 in the world. “I have a lot of respect for her. She’s one of the up-and-comers, like me and a bunch of other girls. She’s really aggressive and is always going for her shots. She has a really amazing serve. It was very tricky.

“I knew I had to grab the opportunity. If not, it would be gone and lost forever. It’s happened on other occasions where I haven’t taken advantage. I knew once I had it in my hands, I couldn’t afford to let it go. I’m really happy with the way I fought and was able to put negative moments behind me and focus on what I had to do next.”

Puig, who hasn’t dropped a set this week, will face off against Spain’s Sílvia Soler-Espinosa in Saturday’s final.

“One of my goals is to win a WTA event,” Puig said. “I’m really close to it. It has been a difficult beginning to the year. To see how I’ve progressed in Rome last week and how I’m playing this week is just amazing. I’m really happy with the work I’ve been doing with my new coach, and I can see that the results are starting to pay off already.”

Soler-Espinosa rallied from a set and 5-3 down for a 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-3 victory over American Christina McHale. Not only that, but she had a match point against her at 6-5 in the second set and was down 5-1 in the second set tie-break. The second set alone lasted an hour and 18 minutes and the match ran two hours and 46 minutes. Like Puig, this will be Soler-Espinosa’s first WTA final, and she will be Strasbourg’s first qualifier in the final since Karolina Sprem in 2003.

“I’ve been fighting for this moment for 26 years,” Soler-Espinosa said. “I’m really happy and excited.”

In Puig and Soler-Espinosa’s sole encounter previously, Puig pulled out a 6-2

Puig’s Impressive Run at Wimbledon Ends Against Sloane Stephens

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The clock has struck twelve for Monica Puig…

The 19-year-old Puerto Rican tennis player’s Cinderella run at Wimbledon came to an end at the hands of another young tennis star.

Monica Puig

Sloane Stephens, the last American singles player still in the hunt at the All England Club, advanced to the quarterfinals on Monday by beating Puig 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

It was a hard-fought 2-hour, 4-minute match on Court 18.

“Just knowing that I am a good tennis player. I’m top-20 in the world for a reason. I didn’t, like, all of a sudden, snap my fingers and I got good,” Stephens said. “I put in a lot of work. (It) took a lot of sweat (and), like, ‘bad hair’ days, all that other stuff, to get to where I was. I realize that I just couldn’t let that go to waste. I had to get back to work.”

Despite the loss, Puig still has plenty of reason to be proud.

Competing at Wimbledon for the first time in her professional career, she pulled off an upset win over No. 5 seed Sara Errani in the first round. She then beat Spain’s Silvia Soler Espinosa in the second round and Eva Birnerova in the third round.

Puig, the first woman in the Open era to represent Puerto Rico in the fourth round, surpassed her best performance in a Grand Slam at the All England Club. She’d previously reached the third round at this year’s French Open.

Puig Survives Gruelling Match to Reach the Fourth Round at Wimbledon

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Monica Puig’s Cinderella run at Wimbledon continues…

The 19-year-old Puerto Rican tennis player, who started her run at the sport’s most prestigious tournament with a surprising upset of No. 5 seed Sara Errani, rallied to beat Czech qualifier Eva Birnerova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday, to reach the fourth round at the All England Club.

Monica Puig

The first set was domintaed by the Birnerova, who won 79% of the first-serve points and converted 2/4 break points, to win the opening set in 51 minutes.

But Puig came back strong to capture the second set in 42 minutes.

Both women looked firm on their serve in the deciding set. But Puig produced some sensational shots in the middle, which helped her steal a break, and eventually went on to take the third in 42 minutes.

Competing in her first Wimbledon, Puig has now surpassed her best performance in a Grand Slam with Saturday’s grueling win. She’d previously reached the third round at the French Open.

Puig, the first woman in the Open era to represent Puerto Rico at this stage, now faces American Sloane Stephens in the fourth round.

“She’s 17 in the world and she’s earned that spot so a lot of respect for her,” said Puig. “I haven’t really seen her play too much, it’s something I’ll have to go back to the drawing board tomorrow and just enjoy the day today.”

Puig is ranked No. 65 in the world.

Puig Continues Her Winning Ways at Wimbledon with Second Round Victory

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Mónica Puig’s instant love affair with the All England Club continues…

Following her upset victory over fifth-seed Sara Errani on Monday, the 19-year-old Puerto Rican rising tennis star is still alive and kicking at Wimbledon.

Monica Puig

Puig registered a hard-fought, three-sets victory over by Spain’s Silvia Soler Espinosa, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, in her second-round match on Wednesday.

Puig, competing in only her second Grand Slam tournament, is playing in her first grand slam tournament as a professional player.

She made her Grand Slam debut this year at the French Open, where she became the first woman from Puerto Rico to reach the third round.

Puig next faces the Czech Republic’s Eva Birnerova in the third round.

Puig Upsets Fifth-Seed Sara Errani in the First Round at Wimbledon

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Mónica Puig has registered the first major upset at Wimbledon…

The 19-year-old Puerto Rican tennis player hit 38 winners to defeat Italy’s Sara Errani, the tournament’s fifth seed, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday in the first match on Court 18 of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.

Monica Puig

Puig, playing in her first grass-court tournament as a professional, completely outplayed Errani with her hard-hitting baseline game.

Errani was the runner-up at last year’s French Open and had reached at least the semifinals of three of the last five Grand Slams. But on the slick grass at the All England club on Monday, she had only 13 winners and was broken four times.

Puig squandered five match points before hitting a forehand winner past Errani to close out the match. She then dropped her racket to the turf and covered her face in her hands.

Errani withdrew from last week’s grass-court warmup at Eastbourne with a leg injury, but showed no signs of any physical problems during the match.

It’s the third time a top-5 women’s seeded player has lost in the first round at Wimbledon since 2001. The others were Martina Hingis in 2000 and Francesca Schiavone in 2010.

Monday’s defeat marked another humbling Wimbledon exit for Errani.

Last year, the Italian went an entire set without winning a point in losing 6-0, 6-4 in the third round to Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. Shvedova was the first player in a Grand Slam to achieve a so-called “golden set” by winning 24 straight points.

Puig reached her first WTA main draw quarterfinal at the 2013 Portugal Open. She defeated number 8 seed and former top-15 player Julia Görges in round one before beating former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the second round. She lost in the quarterfinals to number 4 seed Carla Suárez Navarro of Spain.

At the 2013 French Open, Puig had the most remarkable win of her career before her big Wimbledon win when she defeated world number 11, Nadia Petrova, in three sets.

She next faces Spain’s Silvia Soler Espinosa in the second round.