Muguruza to play in San Jose tourney

Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza
is scheduled to play in the inaugural Mubadala Silicon
Valley Classic, July 30-Aug. 5 at San Jose State.
2017 photo by Mal Taam

   The field of former No. 1-ranked players in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is getting crowded.
   Garbine Muguruza became the fourth one, tournament officials announced today.
   Muguruza, 24, joins former world No. 1s Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka in the inaugural tournament, July 30-Aug. 5 at San Jose State. Maria Sharapova, who also climbed to the top of the rankings, withdrew last Tuesday to rest.
   The Silicon Valley Classic replaces the Bank of the West Classic, which ended a 21-year run at Stanford last August.
   Muguruza, the Williams sisters and Azarenka have won multiple Grand Slam singles titles. Muguruza took the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon crowns.
   Muguruza last September became the first Spanish woman to reach No. 1 since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1995. Muguruza was born in Venezuela to a Venezuelan mother and Spanish father.
   This year, Muguruza reached the French Open semifinals, losing to eventual champion Simona Halep, and was upset by Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium in the second round at Wimbledon.
   The seventh-ranked Muguruza has won six career WTA titles in singles, including Monterrey in April, and five in doubles, including the Bank of the West Classic in 2014 with compatriot Carla Suarez Navarro.
   Muguruza played in the Bank of the West Classic twice, reaching the singles quarterfinals in 2014 and semifinals last year. She lost to eventual champion Madison Keys in 2017. 
   Bank of the West singles champions entered in San Jose are Serena Williams (2011, 2012 and 2014), Venus Williams (2000 and 2002), Azarenka (2010), Johanna Konta (2016) and Keys. Also in the field is CoCo Vandeweghe, a two-time Bank of the West runner-up.
   Tickets to the Silicon Valley Classic are available at MubadalaSVC.com.