Second time lucky for Muguruza
Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain, who lost the Wimbledon final to Serena Williams two years ago, made amends this year with a straight-sets victory over Serena’s sister, Venus
and
WITH joy and surprise lighting up her face, Garbiñe Muguruza yesterday lifted her first Wimbledon ladies’ singles trophy after vanquishing five-time winner Venus Williams in straight sets.
It was a sweet victory for the Spanish player, who lost to Williams’s younger sister, Serena, in the final two years ago.
Speaking moments after winning the title, Muguruza said that on that occasion, Serena – who had been her tennis idol growing up – had told her she would win herself one day.
“Two years ago, I lost in the finals against Serena, and she told me one day I was going to win. Two years after, here I am,” the 23-year-old told a Centre Court crowd that contained some of the game’s luminaries, including Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.
“I had the hardest match today against Venus, an incredible player. I grew up watching her, so it’s incredible to play the final,” said Muguruza, adding later: “It’s great to go out there and play somebody you admire.”
Muguruza is only the second Spanish woman to win a Wimbledon singles title. In 1994, in a neat parallel to yesterday’s final, her stand-in coach Conchita Martinez beat Martina Navratilova, who was the same age as Venus Williams is now.
“The coincidence of her winning against Navratilova, me winning Venus was awesome,” said Muguruza.
Martinez agreed to step in as her coach because Muguruza’s regular coach, Sam Sumyk, could not be in England as his wife is expecting a baby. But Muguruza said she had spoken to him every day, including in the hours before the final.
Williams had been looking to add a sixth Wimbledon singles title to her trophy cabinet, nine years after winning her last major title here.
But she squandered two set points in the first set to lose 5-7, and her game appeared to collapse in the second set, which she lost 0-6 to an opponent growing in confidence with each shot.
The match ended on an anticlimactic note, with a challenge to a line call by the Spanish player. Hawkeye showed Venus’s ball had sailed out of the court and the championship was Muguruza’s.
As she fell to her knees in disbelief, Venus immediately stepped forward to the net to congratulate her.
Her victory brought Muguruza £2.2million in prize money, equal to that awarded the men – something Venus Williams was herself instrumental in finally persuading All England Lawn Tennis Club to adopt in 2007.
Muguruza said she had longed to see her name on the list of Wimbledon champions at the All England Lawn Tennis club, and added she was “so happy that it’s there now”.
Muguruza, who was born in Caracas, Venezuela, began playing tennis at the age of three and, after moving to Spain with her family, enrolled at the Bruguera Tennis Academy near Barcelona. She won her first Grand Slam last year when she beat Serena in straight sets in the French Open.
‘Two years ago, I lost in the finals against Serena, and she told me one day I was going to win. Two years after, here I am’