Muguruza claims Wimbledon crown
Spanish ace Garbine Muguruza has denied Venus Williams a fairytale sixth Wimbledon crown to claim a watershed second grand slam title.
In a high-quality final, Muguruza defeated 37-year-old Williams 7-5 6-0 to add a Wimbledon trophy to her 2016 French Open title.
Victory also atoned for a loss to Williams’s younger sister Serena in the 2015 final at The All England Club as Muguruza became the first player to conquer both American siblings in a grand slam title decider.
The 23-year-old is also the first Spaniard to win the ladies’ singles at Wimbledon since her coach Conchita Martinez crushed Martina Navratilova’s hopes of a 10th success in 1994.
Williams had been striving to become the oldest women’s champion on London’s hallowed grass courts in 109 years after qualifying for her ninth final – eight years after her eighth.
The five-time champion was also contesting a second grand slam final in the same season for the first time since 2003 after finishing runner-up to Serena at the Australian Open.
The resurgent former world No 1 opened the match with a 175kmh ace down the middle and clinched her first service game with a venomous backhand-down-the-line winner.
In contrast, Muguruza began with a double-fault.
But the Spaniard steadied to hold comfortably as the two combatants continued to trade brutal baseline winners.
Williams created the first break-point opportunity with a sharp-angled crosscourt forehand pass in the sixth game.
But with a wide-open court, she dumped an off-forehand into the next before Muguruza escaped trouble with an ace and another error.
Three double-faults in one loose game had Williams under pressure and down break points at 3-3, but the veteran also averted strife with some big serving.
Muguruza found herself down two set points serving at 4-5 after consecutive forehand errors, but rose to the challenge as Williams peppered her most vulnerable wing to hold for 5-5.
Opportunity lost, Williams’ own forehand began to desert her as Muguruza claimed the vital first service break after a succession of unforced errors from the five-time champion.
As tensions rose, so too did the quality with Muguruza seizing the opening set after 51 minutes.
The second set was a whitewash as surging Muguruza broke the dispirited American three times to secure victory after 77 minutes. Williams forehand