Williams, Muguruza in final
She gets another chance to tie Graf ’s Slam record. Djokovic will play Murray.
Serena Williams struggles but gets by Kiki Bertens and will face Garbine Muguruza today.
PARIS — Two years ago at the French Open, Serena Williams was stunned in the second round by a 20-yearold opponent participating in only her 13th match at a major tournament.
That 6-2, 6-2 loss to Garbine Muguruza was, and remains, the most lopsided defeat of Williams’ 338-match Grand Slam career.
So guess who the No. 1ranked Williams will face in the final at Roland Garros on Saturday as she attempts to earn her 22nd major championship and equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record?
Muguruza, of course.
“I learned so much from that match. I hate to lose, but when I do, I hope it was worth it,” Williams said. “That match was definitely one of those that was kind of needed and worth it.”
Since that setback, Williams has won 47 of 50 matches at majors, collecting four trophies along the way to boost her total to 21. Only Graf and Margaret Court, with 24, own more.
Williams moved one victory from Slam title No. 22 — including her second in a row at the French Open — by getting past a poor start and beating Kiki Bertens, 7-6 (7), 6-4, in the semifinals Friday. The No. 4-seeded Muguruza advanced by eliminating 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur, 6-2, 6-4.
“She and I are players who like dictating the game,” Muguruza said of herself and Williams. “There will be moments when she’ll be dominating, and maybe at times, I will be dominating. I think I can be a tough opponent too.”
It’s also a rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final, which Williams won in straight sets.
On Friday, the women’s semifinals were played simultaneously in front of similarly empty stadiums, Williams vs. Bertens at Court Philippe Chatrier, Muguruza vs. Stosur at Court Suzanne Lenglen, where tickets were available for 20 euros ($22). Afterward, in the men’s semifinals, No. 1 Novak Djokovic neared his fourth straight Grand Slam title — and first at the French Open — by topping No. 13 Dominic Thiem, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, and No. 2 Andy Murray defeated defending champion Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, to become the first British man in the final in Paris since 1937.
Because repeated rain sabotaged the schedule and eliminated the usual rest time at a major, Saturday will be Williams’ fourth consecutive day on court, and Muguruza’s third. Williams also acknowledged having “some issues” with a leg muscle, although she would not elaborate.
Under a full cover of clouds and with the temperature in the 50s, Williams made 22 unforced errors in the first set alone.
“Definitely, I agree 100%: If plays like this, she’s not going to win,” said Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. “So I don’t expect her to play that level tomorrow.”
If Williams says that loss in Paris in 2014 stuck with her, Muguruza’s coach, Sam Sumyk, downplayed the significance of that day.
“It was 250 years ago, so nothing to think about, really,” Sumyk said. “But it’s always nice to have [in] the back of your mind that you beat Serena already.”