MELBOURNE, Australia — No. 3 Garbine Muguruza became the highest-seeded player to lose a match at this year’s Australian Open, getting bounced in the second round by Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday.
Muguruza is a two-time Grand Slam champion and was the runner-up at Melbourne Park in 2020, but her play was filled with shaky returning and plenty of mistakes against Cornet. She made 33 unforced errors, more than twice as many as Cornet’s 16.
Muguruza never managed to earn a break point while facing 12.
The 61st-ranked Cornet is appearing in her 63rd career Grand Slam tournament, the past 60 in a row. She never has made it past the fourth round at a major.
There was another second-round surprise in women’s action when 19-year-old Clara Tauson eliminated No. 6 seed Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-3.
Tauson reached the third round for the first time at a major.
Kontaveit lost to Muguruza in the title match of the season-ending WTA Finals in 2021.
