It was an action-packed start to the day at the Australian Open, where two top 10 favorites were sent packing in the second round. Veteran Alize Cornet pulled off a massive upset against the 3rd seed Garbine Muguruza, and teenager Clara Tauson proved too strong for the 6th seed Anett Kontaveit. Neither result was expected, marking these as the most stunning exits of the event. Cornet, a seasoned pro in her 17th Australian Open, handled Muguruza in straight sets.
Exciting starts to the day, two top 10 players were eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open. While Veteran Alize Cornet stunned no.3 seed Garbine Muguruza, teenager Clara Tauson bested no.6 seed Anett Kontaveit. None would have expected these two biggest upsets of the Australian Open. Cornet, playing her 17th Australian Open surpassed Muguruza in straight sets.
Dominating the court, the French player defeated the 2020 finalist 6-3, 6-3, marking the sixth time she has reached the third round of this tournament. This win gives Cornet a 3-2 edge in their overall matchups. The 31-year-old was in peak form, playing an aggressive game that left Muguruza with zero breakpoint opportunities over the course of 87 minutes. A strong first-serve game, with an 83% success rate, made the victory feel effortless.
Cornet started fast, putting Muguruza on the defensive with 40-0 leads in the first two service games. She didn't let the pressure get to her when Muguruza saved two set points at 5-2, maintaining her cool to close out the first set. Meanwhile, Muguruza, despite her pedigree as a WTA Finals champion, seemed to fall apart under the weight of her own errors.
The contrast in consistency was stark: Cornet committed only 16 unforced errors, whereas Muguruza struggled through 33. A brilliant passing shot from the Frenchwoman broke the deadlock at 2-2 in the second set. Cornet then maintained her momentum, breaking Muguruza once more in the final game to officially knock her out of the competition.
In another major shock, Denmark's Clara Tauson swept past Kontaveit 6-2, 6-4, marking the first time in her career that she has reached the third round of a Grand Slam. After 81 minutes of play, the 2020 quarterfinalist suffered a heavy blow. This loss to the 19-year-old puts a sudden halt to Kontaveit's impressive streak, having entered the top 10 after winning 28 of her last 32 matches in 2021.
The teenage powerhouse relied on her strength, hitting 20 winners against 13 unforced errors. Kontaveit, on the other hand, struggled with accuracy, managing 15 winners but committing 27 errors. Tauson seized control immediately, breaking Kontaveit in the very first game and using aggressive returns to build a comfortable 5-2 lead before closing the set with a sharp backhand.
The second set was more competitive, with both players trading breaks to stay level at 4-4. However, a wide forehand from Kontaveit gave Tauson her third breakpoint opportunity. Tauson capitalized on another forehand mistake from the Estonian to secure the match victory.