‘Young’ Muguruza flattens Venus I want to dance with Roger at the ball: Muguruza
After struggling with the burden of winning her first Grand Slam singles title, Garbiñe Muguruza now must cope with the reality of winning a second. She triumphed at Wimbledon on Saturday by defeating five-time champion Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0.
At 23, Muguruza is 14 years younger than Williams, the U.S. star who was playing in her first Wimbledon singles final since 2009. But Muguruza is Williams’ stylistic acolyte: a big-serving, flat-hitting power player who is happiest on a tennis court when she is most aggressive.
Now, she is the first Spanish woman to win the Wimbledon singles title since Conchita Martínez in 1994. Martínez, the Spanish Fed Cup captain, also played a role in this victory by helping to coach Muguruza in the absence of her regular coach, Sam Sumyk, who missed Wimbledon to be with his wife, former player Meilen Tu, during her pregnancy.
Sumyk and Martínez consulted regularly during the tournament, but Martínez was the one sitting in the players box on Centre Court on Saturday.
The match turned with Muguruza serving at 4-5 in the first set. Williams had two set points but could not convert them.
In the next game, Muguruza earned the first break of serve in the match to go ahead 6-5 and then closed out the set.
Muguruza rolled from there. She broke Williams again to open the second set, and Williams’ errors began to pile up. Muguruza won the final nine games of the match.
Muguruza lost to Venus Williams’ younger sister Serena Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon final, then upset Serena Williams in last year’s French Open final, generating expectations that she would continue to climb the rankings and be a consistent contender for major trophies.
Instead, she went into an extended slump, failing to reach another final at any tournament until her run at Wimbledon this year. She is now a two-time Grand Slam singles champion and will be back at No. 5 in the WTA rankings on Monday.
Venus Williams will be back in the top 10 at No. 9 and is in the midst of the strongest season of her late-career phase.
She lost the Australian Open final in January to her sister. Serena Williams was pregnant with her first child when she won that final and has not played competitively since. But she and Venus have been in regular contact during Wimbledon, and Serena, a seven-time singles champion here, offered encouragement and tactical advice before the match against Muguruza.
But after defeating six younger women at the All England Club this year, Venus Williams could not get past the seventh.
Her performance here was, nonetheless, one of the most remarkable of her long career. She last won a Wimbledon singles title in 2008, and three years later she announced that she had Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder.
The condition sapped her energy and forced her to alter her diet and curtail her training. But it did not curtail her desire to continue competing at the highest level, even when she failed to advance past the fourth round at any major tournament in 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014.
WIMBLEDON 14 years younger than Venus Williams, Garbine Muguruza wins 75, 60 to lift her maiden title at SW19 KNOW GARBINE
While 14,999 spectators were left wonderstruck as they watched Roger Federer reach the Wimbledon final a month short of his 36th birthday, there was one man on Centre Court who could have shouted out “been there, done that, got the t-shirt”.
Anyone even remotely acquainted with Ken Rosewall, however, knows that simply isn’t the style of one of the great gentlemen of the game.
Instead, the 82-year-old Australian was as awestruck as anybody on Friday as he sat with his grandson in the royal box watching Federer beat Tomas Berdych to become the oldest men’s singles finallist here since Rosewall bt
(UKR) 6-3, 3-0 - retired
bt (SRB) 7-6 (7/0), 6-3, 6-2
bt
7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-4
bt x13) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
(GER x27) (BUL
bt (CAN x6) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)
bt (CZE x11) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4
Garbine Muguruza will be supporting Roger Federer in Sunday’s men’s final at Wimbledon so she can dance with the Swiss at the Champions Ball.
Wimbledon tradition dictates that the champions of the men’s and women’s draws share a dance at the post-tournament party, meaning the 23-year-old will be partnered by Federer or Marin Cilic.
And Muguruza is hoping to see the 35-year-old Federer come out triumphant so she can see his moves on the dancefloor.
“Oh, c’mon!,” she said when asked about her prospective dance partner, before adding: “Roger.
“And I like Cilic, I have to say seriously. But I want to see if he’s that elegant also dancing.”
Muguruza said it felt “incredible” to become Wimbledon champion even if it did mean 35. Roger’s doing the same thing. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t continue for at least another two or three years.”
Federer still has some way to go if he is to match the longevity of Rosewall’s incredible career as the Australian was 39 when he lost the 1974 final to brash youngster Jimmy Connors. Despite that letdown, Rosewall has retained the title of the oldest men’s Grand Slam champion in the professional era for 45 years. defeating childhood idol Venus Williams.
“I had the hardest match today against Venus. She’s such an incredible player and I grew up watching her play...sorry,” Muguruza told the Centre Court crowd.
It was her second Grand Slam title to add to her 2016 French Open victory. She had also been runner-up to Serena Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon final.
“I feel incredible to be able to play Venus here. Of course I’m nervous because I always dreamed about winning it, but I was composed,” she said.
“Two years ago I lost in the final against Serena and she told me I was going to win.”
Williams also didn’t forget to congratulate Muguruza after her defeat.
“Congratulations Garbine. I know how hard you work and I’m sure this means so much to you and your family,” said the American.
I had the hardest match today against Venus. She’s such an incredible player and I grew up watching her play...sorry I feel incredible to be able to play Venus here. Of course I’m nervous because I always dreamed about winning it, but I was composed OLDEST CHAMPIONS IN SPORT