The last to do it was sitting in the VIP tribune _ Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.
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Mouratoglou had said before the match that it was on Williams’ racket, a comment that may well have provided the powerful Muguruza with a little extra motivation.
Since Angelique Kerber upset Williams at the Australian Open in January, the German has had a hard time maintaining her consistency, and almost two weeks ago she was bundled out of this event in the first round.
“The story about expectations, I have already put it away”, Muguruza said in a roundtable interview Saturday night.
For Williams, whose timing was not exactly right much of the afternoon, Saturday’s loss delayed yet again her pursuit of matching Steffi Graf with 22 Grand Slam singles championships, the most in the Open era, which began in 1968.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza beats world no. 1 Serena Williams in the final of the 2016 French Open.
Muguruza came to the court standing 1-3 after losing to Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon final; the pair have never met outside of the Grand Slam arena.
Last year, when she collected a sixth Wimbledon, it allowed her to celebrate a second “Serena Slam” of all four majors at the same time. I want to thank my group, my family. “I see neither”, he told reporters in the Roland Garros players’ lounge after Saturday’s defeat. I was like, “did I win Roland Garros?’ When he said, ‘Game, set, and match”…it was like…no way. I think just to not think about other stuff, just give it all on the court and it doesn’t matter who is in front or which round it is.
Williams, 34, will probably have more to say about that in the coming months and perhaps years. The Spaniard faltered late however, failing to convert on four straight match points during the ninth game. But it’s a final.
Muguruza broke twice in the opening set, eventually serving it out for a 7-5 lead.
7-5, 6-4 is the final score as Muguruza, who beat Williams in the second round here in 2014, does it again to claim her first grand slam title.
Williams finished with 39 forced errors, 18 more than Muguruza. “I earned it”, she said.
This was Muguruza’s first ever clay-court final.
“I think it’s very important, because sometimes it’s not too good to show them or not controlling them”. I could have served better.
“I’m proud of her and I’m very happy for her because it’s not easy”.
She added: “Serena just hasn’t had a rival, she hasn’t had the competition”.
But Williams dismissed the idea that her pursuit of Graf affected her play. It’s a totally different game. Today was just that challenge.
But the Spaniard already has her sights set on more silverware, and few would bet against her.
King, a 12-time grand slam singles champion, said: ” The changing of the guard is starting.
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For her coach Sam Sumyk, it is his third Grand Slam title after previously coaching Victoria Azarenka to her two Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013.
