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Two years after stunning World No.1 Serena Williams in the second round of the French Open, Garbiñe Muguruza enjoyed a full circle moment on the terre battue in 2016, defeating Williams once again to capture her maiden major title.

“I’m pretty shocked still,” the Spaniard said in her post-match press conference. “Pretty excited about what just happened. I think I’ve got to take my time and enjoy, because with tennis players it goes so fast.

“You have to right away think about another tournament. I want to enjoy.”

Muguruza was the first Spanish woman to reach the Roland Garros final since 2000 (Conchita Martinez); with her win over Williams, she became the first Spaniard to win a Grand Slam title since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1998, and the first two rise into the Top 2 on the WTA rankings since December of 1996.

Racing out to a set and a break advantage, Muguruza had four championship points on Serena’s serve before ultimately serving out the victory one game later.

“It was very difficult to see you have four match points and doesn’t go your way. But it’s a final. There’s no room for being disappointed or for excuses.

“I still had another chance serving, and even after. I just tried to be calm even though inside, I was like, ‘Oh, there’s no way.’ I managed to be calm and just think about what I have to do every point, you know, and don’t think about match point or championship point.”

With her first Grand Slam title already under her belt, the 2015 Wimbledon finalist will certainly be one to watch as the tour turns to grass, and as May’s WTA Player Of The Month!

Final Results for May’s WTA Player Of The Month

1. Garbiñe Muguruza (70%)
2. Simona Halep (20%)
3. Serena Williams (10%)

2016 WTA Player of the Month Winners

January: Angelique Kerber
February: Carla Suárez Navarro
March: Victoria Azarenka
April: Angelique Kerber

How it works:

Finalists are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – No.28 seed Kristina Mladenovic kept up her blistering form in the California desert, willing through a late wobble against No.4 seed and 2015 champion Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open.

“We always had very tough battles,” she said in her post-match press conference. “I was actually up in our head to head, 2-1. That’s not very often against a Top 5 player!”

“I think that match was a big win for me, physically. I was there solid and hanging in there and putting sometimes balls back and being brave. I perfectly played the game plan I had. Solid at times, make her play balls and making her take some risk at the time. Sometimes when I had the shorter one, like, stepping in it, playing my heavy shots with the forehand, and I think that worked pretty well today.”

.@KikiMladenovic on ?! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/nvwisgGaHS

— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2017

Mladenovic came to Indian Wells after a breakthrough month that saw her capture her maiden WTA title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and reach another final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel – not to mention earning a win over Karolina Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in between.

Halep, by contrast, had sat out most of the month to tend to a left knee injury, and though she showed signs of her best, the Romanian proved too rusty against the surging French star, who advanced through in one hour and 42 minutes to earn her second Top 5 win in two months.

How did @Simona_Halep win this point?! ? #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/OuykeWlE9p

— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2017

“Based on how much I was able to practice before this event, I’m happy to have made the third round,” a wry Halep said after the match. “She’s playing well and has confidence, but I missed a lot. After the first set, my legs were gone. My tennis legs aren’t back yet, so I need to work a lot. But I’m ok; I don’t want to make a drama.

“I was very sore after the first match, and couldn’t walk too much. Yesterday was ok; I practiced for an hour. But the heat was killing me because I wasn’t used to being out there that long yet. I had a headache, my feet were burning and my muscles were gone.”

The toughest moment came toward match’s end as Mladenovic served for it having just earned a set and double break lead. Throwing in two double faults on her first two match points, Mladenovic engineered a third only for Halep to save it and break back, converting her third of 22 opportunities in the match.

.@KikiMladenovic knocks out 2015 @BNPPARIBASOPEN champ Halep!

Wins 6-3, 6-3 to set up @LaurenDavis93 clash! pic.twitter.com/2VvoZaaKyv

— WTA (@WTA) March 13, 2017

It only prolonged the inevitable, however, and the reigning French Open women’s doubles champion broke for a sixth and final time to earn a career-best result at the BNP Paribas Open.

Standing between her and a spot in the last eight is a similarly surging force in the women’s game, as American Lauren Davis continued her impressive run of form with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Julia Goerges.

Davis began the season with the win at the ASB Classic, and has already amassed 16 wins in main draw and qualifying matches. Mladenovic won their only prior meeting at the 2013 French Open.

Big win today against Simona! Happy to be into the fourth round here ????? @BNPPARIBASOPEN #MyGame #forza pic.twitter.com/L6aL9kSKnZ

— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) March 13, 2017

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai turned the tables on one of the most cerebral players in the game, using all the variety in her arsenal to upset No.6 Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets at the BNP Paribas Open, 6-4, 6-4.

Peng came into the matchup with two wins over the World No.6, and needed an hour and twenty-six minutes to score another one, defeating Radwanska 6-4, 6-4 in her first Top 10 win since 2014.

“She’s a really good player and we’ve faced each other many times – sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I’m really happy I won today,” Peng said in her on-court interview.

“I’m really happy that I can come back and play this tournament again – after my back surgery [in 2015] I almost ended my career. But I spent a lot of time and fight hard to be here.”

The Chinese player had a long road to the third round; she made it through two rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw, then dispatched Lesia Tsurenko and ousted No.31 seed Ana Konjuh to bring up the matchup with Radwanska. She racked up a total of six hours and 20 minutes on court; Radwanska, by contrast, had spent just one hour and 43 minutes.

That battle-readiness showed for Peng as she kept pace with the 2014 finalist, trading breaks twice in the opening set. Peng gave Radwanska a taste of her own medicine, changing the pace and bringing out the variety that Radwanska herself is usually known for and drawing out the errors.

The pair wrestled with the momentum for much of the opening set before a late wobble from Radwanska gave Peng the opening. Radwanska’s first serves abandoned her at the worst time, and Peng broke to take the set.

She jumped out ahead to a 5-2 lead before Radwanska regained her footing; the Chinese player was a point away from bringing up match point on Radwanska’s serve when a netcord point breathed new life into the Pole’s game. She found her range to cut down on Peng’s lead, but it was too little too late as Peng broke again to take her spot into the BNP Paribas Open round of 16.

Peng will take on Venus Williams in the next round for a spot in the quarterfinals. She won the pair’s most recent encounter last year, beating the former World No.1 in straight sets at the China Open.

“I remember our last match in Beijing,” Peng said. “I had been back on the tour [from back injury] for half a year and then I beat her at the China Open.

“She’s an amazing player, so I just hope to keep going and try to fight and play some good tennis next round.”

BIRMINGHAM, Great Britain – Britain’s Heather Watson notched her first win in Birmingham in two years, downing Camila Giorgi 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the second round at the Aegon Classic Birmingham.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Watson played a neat and tidy game against the tricky Giorgi, striking 23 winners and seven unforced errors to the Italian’s 24 winners and 29 unforced errors.

The Brit found herself break points down in the second and fifth games of the second set, but rallied each time to come up with a way to stay in it.

“Today, the opponent I played is a real tricky one,” Watson said. “She doesn’t give you any rhythm. She’ll hit a lot of winners, but she’ll make some mistakes as well. So it’s tough.

“I was just really pleased with how positive I was, especially in the second set when I was breakpoints down. I thought those games in the end turned out to be very crucial.”

Her first-round win here overturns a spell of disappointing results at the Aegon Classic Birmingham – she’s bowed out in the first round in her last two appearances.

“I just love it here in Birmingham,” the Brit told the crowd after her match. “I haven’t had the results I’ve wanted here in the past, but I was really motivated this year to do well here because I really do enjoy it.

“I have family who live close by in Coventry, so I really feel like it’s a second home.”

Joining her in the second round is Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. The 18-year-old defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6(2) 6-1 earlier in the day.

Watson and Giorgi’s match just barely missed the rain that had been threatening to come down all afternoon, leaving the clashes between Daria Gavrilova versus Naomi Broady and Carla Suárez Navarro versus Elina Svitolina postponed until tomorrow.

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA – Reigning French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza brought No.10 seed Elina Svitolina’s 15 match winning streak to an emphatic end with a 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-0 victory at the BNP Paribas Open to book an intruiging match-up with No.3 seed Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals.

“I think it was a very difficult match today,” she said in her post-match press conference. “It was like a test, because she has been winning, like, 15 matches in a row, and she just getting to Top 10, as well.

“I was, like, okay, it’s going to be a tough match and she has a very difficult game, as well. I’m pretty happy about my match. It wasn’t easy at all.”

Svitolina has quickly become the player to beat after back-to-back titles at the Taiwan Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships – with wins in Fed Cup in between – helping her become the first Ukrainian women to crack the Top 10.

.@GarbiMuguruza seals the first set 7-6 (5)! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/ePXybe9roE

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

Muguruza, by contrast, came to the California desert with question marks after a left achilles injury forced her to retire from her opening round in Dubai, and was a set from defeat against 17-year-old wildcard Kayla Day on Sunday.

Still, the Spaniard raced out to a 5-2 lead to start and survived a late surge to hold off Svitolina in the ensuing tie-break.

“I felt like I almost had to control the match. Not really the second set. I think she played very good in the second set. But in that first set, I started very well, and I knew that that match can turn around so easily, you know. It’s going to be a battle.

“I accept it that she came back. Then I kept fighting until the tie-break, and it was, like, two points’ difference!”

.@ElinaSvitolina at the top of her game! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/sZvjVITtE3

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

Undeterred, the Ukrainian youngster took the momentum from the end of the first set into the second, roaring to a decider, dropping just five points on her first serve and converting all three break points to level the match.

“Today was a bit of a mental struggle,” Svitolina told WTA Insider. “When I woke up this morning, I was feeling tired, and I needed to fight through the fatigue. It was up and down, but I needed to fight through it and I was feeling like I did the right things, and that I had my chances throughout the match.

“But there are a lot of positives I can take from a match like this, and I can be proud of myself that I’d been able to fight through so many days like today. I’ve had some incredible matches and I can be proud of those and move forward.”

.@GarbiMuguruza is flying through the final set! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/TJvhDgYgj5

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

The first three games of the final sent would go to deuce, but Muguruza would win each one and never looked back, converting the bagel on her second match point.

“I think I can play in a number of different ways. And today I knew it was going to be difficult, because even though you try different things, you are playing against a Top 10 player and you can, you know, not win.

“I was just trying to do my game today, basically, because I think that was the way to win.”

.@GarbiMuguruza snaps Svitolina’s 15 match win streak 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-0!

Plays @KaPliskova next in @BNPParibasOpen Quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/R32raGRMaF

— WTA (@WTA) March 15, 2017

Up next for Muguruza is Czech nemesis Pliskova, who has won their last five matches of their head-to-head after losing their first meeting at the 2013 French Open.

The pair most recently played ta Fed Cup, where the No.3 seed triumphed in straight sets, though Muguruza pushed Plisova to three sets in their round robin match at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“I think it’s one of the toughest matches I can have now. I think she’s playing very good. She has been very consistent, and I have been watching her.

She has her game, which is very aggressive with good serve. So I’m just going to go out there and try to do my game, try to be concentrate. I know it’s a tough match.

“I cannot do more than give it all there.”

Clay court tennis is commonly associated with drawn-out baseline battles, but at Roland Garros the WTA’s big servers were doing their best to keep these to a minimum.

Unsurprisingly, Serena Williams led the way in terms of both aces and service speed. Her fastest of the fortnight was clocked at 121.8mph – a figure matched by one of the game’s stars in waiting, Naomi Osaka. They were not the only ones notching noteworthy numbers, either; Océane Dodin, Madison Keys and Danka Kovinic all threatening the 120mph mark.

Roland Garros
1. Serena Williams – 121.8mph / 196.0kph
1T. Naomi Osaka – 121.8mph / 196.2kph
3. Océane Dodin – 119.9mph / 193.0kph
4T. Madison Keys – 119.3mph / 192.0kph
4T. Danka Kovinic – 119.3mph / 192.0kph

2016
1. Serena Williams – 127.0mph / 204.4kph (Indian Wells)
2T. Lucie Hradecka – 123.0mph / 197.9kph (Indian Wells)
2T. Venus Williams – 123.0mph / 197.9kph (Miami)
4. Timea Babos – 122.0mph / 196.3kph (Indian Wells)
5. Naomi Osaka – 121.8mph / 196.2kph (Roland Garros)
6. CoCo Vandeweghe – 121.mph / 194.7kph (Indian Wells)
7T. Madison Keys – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Australian Open)
7T. Océane Dodin – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Roland Garros)
7T. Polona Hercog – 119.9mph / 193.0kph (Australian Open)
10. Danka Kovinic – 119.3mph / 192.0kph (Roland Garros)

All-Time
1. Sabine Lisicki – 131.0mph / 210.8kph (2014 Stanford)
2. Venus Williams – 129.0mph / 207.6kph (2007 US Open)
3. Serena Williams – 128.6mph / 207.0kph (2013 Australian Open)
4. Julia Goerges – 126.1mph / 203.0kph (2012 French Open)
5. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy – 126.0mph / 202.7kph (2007 Indian Wells)
6. Nadiia Kichenok – 125.5mph / 202.0kph (2014 Australian Open)
7. Lucie Hradecka – 125.0mph / 201.2kph (2015 Wimbledon)
8. Anna-Lena Groenefeld – 125.0mph / 201.1kph (2009 Indian Wells)
9T. Ana Ivanovic – 124.9mph / 201.0kph (2007 French Open)
9T. Denisa Allertova – 124.9mph / 201.0kph (2015 Australian Open)

And then there were eight! It’s quarterfinal time at the BNP Paribas Open and the top half of the draw will get things started. We preview all of today’s action right here at wtatennis.com.

Wednesday, Quarterfinals

[3] Karolina Pliskova (CZE #3) vs. [7] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #7)
Head-to-head: Pliskova leads, 5-1
Key Stat: Muguruza ended Elina Svitolina’s 15-match winning streak with a three-set victory over the Ukrainian on Tuesday.

It was a typically hot sunny day in the California desert two years ago when Garbiñe Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova met in the third round at the BNP Paribas Open. There was an air of what could be surrounding the two rising talents as they slugged serves and pounded groundstrokes while a relatively small crowd looked on. Two years on, both players are stars that are firmly entrenched in the Top 10. Muguruza is a Grand Slam champion and has played in two major finals and Pliskova was last year’s US Open runner-up. Everything we thought these fantastic young ball strikers could be, they are becoming, and they will go toe-to-toe on Wednesday in a match that is sure to be very important for both. But likely more so for Muguruza, who lost to Pliskova on that day in 2015 and has lost to the Czech five times consecutively, and in total. They have had a few close battles, and Pliskova has dominated the Spaniard a few times, but Pliskova does seem to be inside Muguruza’s head a bit at this point in time.

That said, Muguruza is eager for the challenge, knowing that Pliskova has become one of the game’s premier power brokers and understanding what a win against her could mean for her confidence. “I think it’s one of the toughest matches I can have now,” she said. “I think she’s playing very good. She has been very consistent, and, yeah, I have been watching her.”

Can the Spaniard finally shake free of the player that has become her nemesis and make a strong statement about her form in 2017? Or will it be Pliskova who again hands Muguruza another disappointing loss on a grand stage?

Pick: Pliskova in three

[19] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS #21) vs. [8] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS #8)
Head-to-head: Kuznetsova leads, 5-3
Key Stat: Pavlyuchenkova already has three Top 10 wins in 2017, two more than she had all of last season.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is hoping for the hat trick when she squares off with her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova for the third time in three months on Wednesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The 25-year-old took the first two meetings in straight sets, reversing run of dominance for Kuznetsova that saw her beat Pavlyuchenkova four times in their first five encounters. But the Pavlyuchenkova we see today is not the same player we have seen in previous years. The talent, yes it’s similar, but there is more seriousness about her craft, and this is what she believes has made the difference for her this week. “I’m 25. I’ll be 26 in July,” she told reporters after her three-set victory over No.5 seed Dominika Cibulkova on Tuesday. “The time is going quick, you know. Tennis life is kind of short. I feel like if it’s not now, then after it’s too late… I just am going to take my chances, try my best, work hard consistently, and see where it can bring me.”

But will Pavlyuchenkova’s newfound sense of purpose be enough to propel her past Kuznetsova for a third consecutive time? Kuznetsova too is a vastly improved player from where she was a few seasons ago. Last year she returned to the Top 10 for the first time in six years and thus far in 2017 she has shown no signs of slowing down. Expect Kuznetsova to come out determined to take the power back from Pavlyuchenkova.

Pick: Pavlyuchenkova in three

By the Numbers:

2009 – Pavlyuchenkova reached the semifinals at Indian Wells on her debut in 2009. This is her first trip back to the quarterfinals since.

2008 – After reaching back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2007 and 2008, Kuznetsova had not returned to the quarterfinals until this season.

26 – Number of wins that Kuznetsova has earned at Indian Wells, against 13 losses.

152 – Karolina Pliskova’s ace total for 2017. She leads the tour and has 11 in three matches thus far at Indian Wells.

MALLORCA, Spain – Eugenie Bouchard and Jelena Jankovic both overcame sluggish starts to get their Mallorca Open campaigns off to a winning start and advancing to the second round.

Watch live action from Birmingham and Mallorca this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

The inaugural International event, staged right on the Mediterranean coast in Santa Ponsa, looks just as much like a relaxing getaway as it does a WTA event, and quite the opposite of a typical grass court tournament.

“It’s different, to have a tour spot in a vacation spot here like this,” No.8 seed Bouchard said.

“It’s hot over here, we’re not used to that when we play on grass, it’s usually cold rainy countries so this is a refreshing change.”

Bouchard raced through the opening set against Danka Kovinic, but had trouble keeping up the intensity in the second as the Montenegrin player climbed to a 5-2 lead. Bouchard reeled off the next five straight games to defeat her 6-3, 7-5 and book a spot in the second round.

“I think I played pretty solid,” Bouchard assessed after the match. “On my part I thought I had some big weapons. She had a big serve and can hit big shots so I felt like I stayed with her when I needed to, but I kept fighting even though I was down in that second set.”

No.2 seed Jankovic had a similar struggle against Ana Konjuh, but in reverse: after a tense, lengthy struggle in the first set against the Croatian, Jankovic found her range and snapped up the second set, 7-5, 6-3.

“I had a slow start and my opponent was playing very well,” Jankovic said. “She was hitting strong and I was reacting very slow.

“I wasn’t really able to play my game but slowly, little by little, I started to get in my rhythm. I felt more comfortable on the court and I think she just couldn’t follow.”

While these two seeds advanced, another two went tumbling out as Sabine Lisicki dealt an upset to the No.4 seeded Kristina Mladenovic, 6-4, 6-4, and qualifier Sorana Cirstea knocked out No.5 seed Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-2.

What post match cool down looks like in Mallorca ?? pic.twitter.com/CSqKiIYwJI

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 14, 2016