Williams has been one short of equalling Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 slam singles titles since she beat Muguruza at Wimbledon.
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Williams said Muguruza was simply too good for her on Saturday.
You can’t get that kind of versatility without being an all-around exceptional athlete.
The rapid action unfolds thus: Muguruza racks up a definite advantage after clinching breaks that gives her the first set and a lead in the second.
Garbine Muguruza of Spain hits a forehand during the Ladies Singles final match against Serena Williams of the United States on day fourteen of the 2016 French Open at Roland Garros on June 4, 2016, in Paris. “To play a final of a Grand Slam against one of the best players, I’m so happy”.
However, the American has not won a Slam singles title since she beat Muguruza in the Wimbledon final previous year. Yes, she has never lost two consecutive grand slams finals in her career. The Spaniard, 12 years her junior, was playing in just her second having lost last year’s Wimbledon final to Williams. Muguruza is just 22 and just entering the prime of her career.
But her loss to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals in NY, her loss to Angelique Kerber in the final in Melbourne and now the loss to Muguruza in Paris means she will have to wait until Wimbledon, at least, for the next opportunity.
The Spaniard would then consolidate for 4-2 before losing three straight games to fall to 5-4, before breaking again en route to taking the opening set 7-5, requiring four set points and overcoming four double faults in the set to do so. She’d hold to force Muguruza to serve it out.
Nadal’s withdrawal through injury after two rounds here had sent many a Spanish fan into a tailspin but Muguruza more than made up for it with a brilliant 7-5, 6-4 victory over the world No 1 Serena Williams, a performance that suggests she may yet go on to win many more grand slam crowns.
“Thanks to my coach, Patrick (Mouratoglou)”, Williams said. Williams, though, was struggling, and this time it was the quality of her opponent’s play rather than her own concessions that were responsible for her struggles. The nine double faults hurt, but she still won 74 percent of her first-serve points. “It was tough to win the 17th, the 18th, it will be hard to win the 22nd and the 23rd but we will do it”. “So we’ll probably have many others, many opportunities and I don’t doubt that she’ll achieve [22 majors]”. The 34-year-old was beaten by Germany’s Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open in January.
This was Muguruza’s first ever clay-court final and for those looking for omens the last time that happened was in 1988, when Natasha Zvereva was walloped in 32 minutes by Graf. She gained praise from the American saying “unbelievable” and admitting she had been outplayed by Muguruza.
“I guess it’s how you look at it”.
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The second set was also Muguruza’s as the 22-year-old came out ahead from consecutive breaks of serve in the first three games, taking a 3-1 lead and putting the pressure on the American in a dramatic ninth game lasting nearly 10 minutes as Williams saved four match points.
