The match between Williams and Sharapova was completely uneventful, with Williams winning 6-2, 6-4.
Advertisement
The five-time Grand Slam champion seemed to meekly accept her fate and the usually demonstrative Serena, who muscled her way to the decisive break in the fifth game of the second set, was tested so little that she barely bothered to celebrate once the job was done.
“I think for many others, maybe if I was British, a semi-final would be incredible”, she said.
“Obviously”, Djokovic said, “the experience of being in these final stages of Wimbledon many times is going to help me”.
Top seed Williams must win Wimbledon then defend her
US Open crown to complete her first calendar slam, but claims “it’s not as stressful” since matching Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s 18 major titles. Race, corporate bias, likability and beauty are all part of the discussion in why Sharapova earns nearly twice as much as Serena from endorsements and appearances, despite only one-quarter the singles Grand Slam wins.
The odds will be stacked against her but a nearly-forgotten victory over Williams at last year’s French Open will suddenly spring back into both women’s consciousness. Muguruza, a 21-year-old Spaniard, beat Agnieszka Radwanska, a ex- Wimbledon finalist, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the first match of the day. She comes up with the goods from that serve when she’s down.
Williams found herself a set down for the first time at the tournament, but once she found her best she was always in control. “I think Serena is not going to let her do that, no, not in this tournament”. The sort of tennis she is playing this year and for the last many, many years has left no one in doubt that she is unbeatable when she is fit and in the right state of the mind. I just think she was playing well.
Serena wasn’t the only one to learn something from that match.
Like numerous younger players, Muguruza cites Williams as her inspiration. It wins her easy points, free points. This will be Muguruza’s first Grand Slam final.
“It was an eye€’opening loss for me”, she said.
“It’s disappointing to come out as a loser because I know my level can be there and my level can be at the point of holding these championship trophies”.
However, rather than dwell on those legacy-defining possibilities, Williams made it clear that the only reason she is in such a privileged position is because she no longer frets about her place among the pantheon of tennis greats.
“I don’t want to lose to anyone at a grand slam”. If Muguruza is going to make this a match, she needs to protect her service games as well as Williams does.
Muguruza lacks the variety of the ever popular Radwanska but packs a punch with her flat ground strokes from the back of the court.
It was another chastening defeat for Sharapova and, although the Russian world number four is due to return to number two in the rankings next week, the latest instalment of their one-sided rivalry provided further proof of the vast gulf in class.
If there’s one player who is intent on ruining her bid for history, it’s Spanish 20th seed Garbine Muguruza, who entered the Championships low on expectations but has surprised many en route to reaching her maiden Grand Slam final.
While that triumph gave Muguruza the belief that she was capable of competing with the best, Williams also credited that result for her own recent success.
Williams walking out for a Wimbledon final has become a familiar sight over the last decade, even if she has not won since 2012, but she said she would still be feeling the butterflies on Saturday.
Advertisement
“I think this probably is a good surface for her”. The world No. 1 Williams, having beaten Sharapova 16 straight times, is favored to join Muguruza on Center Court on Saturday.
