Muguruza Stands Between Venus, Record as Oldest Grand Slam Winner
Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza will meet in the Wimbledon women's singles final at the end of an intriguing and ‘wide open' draw.
Johanna Konta's ambitions of becoming the first British female winner at Wimbledon since Virginia Wade in 1977 were ended by Venus Williams while Muguruza dismissed Magdalena Rybarikova, the story of the tournament, in convincing fashion.
Will it either be Williams, at 37, who secures her sixth Wimbledon title or Muguruza lifting the Venus Rosewater dish for the first time today? We profile both players…
Venus Williams
Venus has enjoyed a stellar career, albeit often overshadowed by her younger sister Serena, winning seven Grand Slam titles but remarkably she is still competing at the top echelons of women's tennis.
The American, playing at her 20th Wimbledon, is back in her first singles final at the All England Club since 2009 - when she succumbed to Serena - after gathering momentum and form as the tournament has progressed.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has had to battle her way into contention at the major tournaments over recent years after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Sjogren's Syndrome, in 2011.
The condition had a debilitating effect on her energy levels and she did not make it past the last 16 in the singles at a Grand Slam tournament between 2011 and 2014.
Fast forward on a few years and Williams has reached her second Grand Slam final this year after she suffered another defeat to Serena in Melbourne at the start of the year. She had gone nearly eight years prior to the Australian Open final without reaching a showpiece major final.
Venus is breaking records at this year's Wimbledon. Having already become the oldest player to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam she is now a step away from becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era (since 1968).
"I've played a lot of finals here, it's been a blessing," Venus said ahead of Saturday's final. "I can't ask for more, but I want a little more."
Williams is a household name not only for the tennis fraternity but across global sport and Venus has now played at the French Open and the ongoing Wimbledon without 23 Grand Slam winner Serena, who is preparing to give birth to her first child later this year.
Williams, the No 10 seed, has showed her power from both wings throughout her performances at Wimbledon this year and her fitness has looked impeccable, highlighted by her comprehensive victories over rising stars Naomi Osaka and Ana Konjuh alongside recent French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in successive rounds.
Garbine Muguruza
Muguruza, who won the French Open last year, is aiming to become the first female Spanish player to win at Wimbledon since Conchita Martinez, her coach, in 1994.
She has had the tougher path to reach the final, including defeating world No 1 Angelique Kerber in three tight sets and former two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, but is into her second Wimbledon final.
The 23-year-old, who is into her third Grand Slam final, is once again facing a Williams. However, this time it will not be Serena but Venus and on current form, she has the artillery to become a Grand Slam champion for a second time.
Her victory against Kerber, who will lose her world No 1 spot at the end of the tournament, showed her mental resilience having lost the first set, while her victory against the unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova in the semi-finals was a demonstration of her consistent power hitting from the baseline.
Muguruza's regular tour coach Sam Sumyk is absent from Wimbledon and from what we have seen over the past two weeks there can be no doubts about the positive influence Martinez is having.
The 2015 Wimbledon finalist has always appeared to have a game well-suited to grass. Her tall frame enables her to get a good early strike on her opponents with her first delivery and she has backed this up with assured groundstrokes and a willingness to approach the net when the opportunity presents itself.
"I think she's helping me to deal with the stress of the tournament, because it's a long tournament," said Muguruza about the influence of Martinez.
"Not that I'm doing something different, honestly. But, you know, to have her by my side gives me also this confidence of having someone that has won before."
If Muguruza is able to replicate her 22 winners from the semi-final and keep her unforced errors down then she will be well placed to overcome Venus in her third career major final.
With less than a year after its establishment, FCBESCOLA Lagos set up by Blaugrana Group International, as one of its platforms to leverage on in the drive for talent hunt, it is already making tremendous impact on the global football clime.
After a successful trip to Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain in April, where it defeated Dubai, the FCBESCOLA Lagos team of 31 students and four coaches led by the School Technical Director Bernat Villa, is already in San Sebastian, Spain, to represent Nigeria in this year's DONOSTI International Cup. The tournament is said to attract many teams especially from Spanish speaking countries.
In a chat with the media, Villa revealed that FCBESCOLA Lagos, had two teams of Cadete (14 – 15 years old) and Juvenile (16 – 18 years old) participating in the competition, which was meant to test the skills, mental preparedness and technical acumen of the students who to his appraisal, had improved tremendously, technically and could compete favourably with any team their age globally.
“Individually and as a team, our students are technically well honed and skillful to take part in any world competition with the conviction that our performance would give us victory. Our students are well disciplined, coordinated, focused, with a mission to conquer,” he stated.
Furthermore, he explained that the exposure was to give courage, spur them to aspire to become great legends, a new life time experience that would for long, motivate them to be better and attract those who did not believe that in a short while, the FCBESCOLA Lagos, would come this far.
“The technical teams believe in the vision of the academy and bought into their intent to add sustainable value to the Nigerian society. Our students are an amazing bunch of talents, from the youngest to the Juveniles, they are a future we would be proud in. Our passion is committing to be pillars of these stories of greatness. The academy will do what she can to make our brought-ups a sought after," he said.
According to Mrs. Ajoke Jonah, parent of one of the students, "over the years we have been involved in various football clinics and academies. FCBESCOLA Lagos, first in sub-Saharan Africa is indeed the first and will remain the first and the best, for their owners are people of integrity and honour who want the best for our young persons and the happiness of their families.
"Initially, I was skeptical due to my experience over the years with all the various platforms. The school took over 36 students and four coaches to Spain in April and now 31 students and four coaches to San Sebastian, Spain. She is less than a year old. She should be highly commended, for she has done very well. The difference is unfamiliar," she vouched.
In his remarks, Mr. Austin Eruotor, President WhiteHouse Group, who toured the Academy recently, challenged good spirited and well-to-do individuals and corporate bodies to take a cue from the promoters of the academy, support the initiative, the academy's Elite 96 full scholarship scheme and other novel ideas and platforms that would help in talent discovery, and expose them to life time opportunities that would lubricate their will of progress.
"The Academy's approach to help these young people live their dreams in this short time is extremely remarkable and worthy of emulation. Other individuals and corporate organisations should borrow a leaf from what the promoters of FCBESCOLA Lagos, are doing. In this area for the first time, this is the best thing that has ever happened to us," he said.
The management of the Academy revealed that the FCBESCOLA Lagos Elite 96 scholarship scheme which already has 50 successful candidates is open to candidates between the ages of 5 and 17 who are highly talented and skillful.
However, the trials for admission into the Academy are ongoing. Interested candidates are requested to visit the school at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Floyd Mayweather was on the attack on Thursday, branding Conor McGregor a quitter as the four-stop tour hyping their cross-combat superfight hit New York.
"Eejit" and "Circus Clown" were the tamest epithets the former welterweight king, who retired from boxing with a perfect 49-0 record in 2015, threw at McGregor, one of the biggest stars of mixed martial arts.
"[He] didn't quit once, didn't quit twice, quit three times!" said Mayweather. "Real fighters never give up."
McGregor, a two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has been submitted three times in his mixed martial arts career.
The two men are set to face each other in a boxing ring in Las Vegas on August 26 in what could be the richest fight in history.
Thursday's show at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, drew a pro-McGregor crowd of more than 13,000.
It was the third such production in three days, with one more scheduled for London on Friday aimed at pumping up interest in the bout - although both men seemed to be running short of inventive invective even if the animosity between them is actually growing.
McGregor eschewed his sharp-tailored suits for a bare chest and white fur overcoat - which he swept from his shoulders as he took the stage to offer a flexed-arm pose that inflamed the crowd.
The Irishman then paced impatiently as Mayweather, draped in an Irish flag, made his way to the stage and they took their positions for the ritual face off from opposite sides of the podium.