With Martinez in her ear, Muguruza finds a way in Doha

Adapt and continue to find a way. That's what champions do week in and week out. Sometimes, in unexpected directions.

For Garbine Muguruza, she's adjusting to a curveball that comes with competing in the current climate. Her coach, Conchita Martinez, is in hotel quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 upon her Doha arrival.

The pair of Spaniards have utilized technology to their advantage throughout Muguruza's event preparation—and it shined through on Monday when the two-time major winner defeated Veronika Kudermetova, 6-2, 7-6 (4), in one hour and 46 minutes.

"She's always with us, watching my practices and on my ear kind of with my beads. I connect them and I can hear her," Muguruza told press after her win.

"I even practiced one day, part of the practice with the ear phone and just tried to have a laugh also out of all this, because it's tough and we have to adapt all the time to every circumstance. But so far we are finding a way."

In advancing, Muguruza set an enticing second-round showdown with No. 3 seed Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian put together a 15-match win streak after claiming her last two events of 2020 and the first tournament of 2021 in Abu Dhabi, and like Muguruza, reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

"I think she's playing great. Last year and this year I saw she's winning titles and playing good tennis," said Muguruza. "I'm excited to face these top players. I feel like every match is hard."

Sabalenka took their lone meeting at the 2018 China Open in Beijing.