WIMBLEDON 2015:
Serena Williams Makes it Joy of Six at Wimbledon After Defeating Garbine Muguruza to Keep Grand Slam Dream Alive
Serena Williams v Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4
- Top seed Serena Williams won her sixth Wimbledon singles title after defeating Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4
- World No 1 was broken in the opening game before reeling off four consecutive games to win the first set
- The Spanish No 20 seed produced a late fightback in the second set but could not stave off defeat
- The American currently holds all four major tournaments and remains on course for calendar Grand Slam
Daily Mail UK, 11 July 2015
WIMBLEDON:
Serena Williams has completed the second ‘Serena Slam’ of her utterly extraordinary career by adding the Wimbledon singles title - her sixth in SW19 - to those she holds from last year’s US Open and this year’s Australian Open and French Open.
The 33-year-old American beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain in a match more thrilling than the 6-4, 6-4 score suggests to win the 21st Grand Slam singles titles of her career. Williams has won six Slam singles titles in Australia, three in Paris and six in New York as well as six here on these lawns now.
Serena Williams clutches the famous Venus Rosewater Dish after winning a sixth ladies singles title at Wimbledon
Williams, at 33 and 288 days, beat Martina Navratilova's record to become the oldest women to win grand slam in the Open era
Williams poses with popular losing finalist Garbine Muguruza - who surprised herself by reaching the final on grass
The US phenomenon shares a cheeky smile as she walks past ball boys and girls to show the trophy to crowds outside
Muguruza was in tears during her acceptance speech but got a rapturous applause from her newfound fans
Her previous Serena Slam, holding all the Slam singles titles simultaneously but not in a calendar year, ran from the French Open of 2002 to the Australian Open of 2003.
Muguruza, born in Caracas, Venezuela and now resident in Barcelona, was the first Spanish woman in a Wimbledon singles final since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1996. The 21-year-old world No20, who will climb to No9 in the rankings on Monday, was hoping to become Spain’s first winner here since Conchita Martinez in 1994. But for all her effort and strengths, she was eventually outmuscled and outplayed by a figure increasingly regarded as the best female tennis player of all time.
‘Eventually’ is the operative word. The second set looked at one point like a breeze for Williams but Muguruza showed amazing guts and nerve to claw her way back into it and hang on as the juggernaut of Williams crept to the line.
Muguruza has brought a smile and a thrilling sense of adventure to the All England Club. But Williams brought her A-game to London and when in full force there is not much that anyone else can do to stop her. She won 28 Slam singles matches on the bounce now, beating a string of Slam winners and former world No1s along the way.
Williams’ power game is underpinned by her ferocious serve but it faltered at the start of match as she double faulted on the opening point. Two more doubles in that game alone were indicative of nerves from the world No1 and Muguruza exploited the early weakness, converting the fourth break point with booming groundstrokes that forced Williams long.
The outsider held her own first service game comfortably and Williams put her first game on the board after going 0-30 down in her second service game. Muguruza showed great character to save two break points in her second service game but when she offered up two more at 4-3 ahead, Williams punished her.
Hollywood actress Rosamund Pike was one of several famous faces watching the action on Centre Court
Canadian rapper Drake (right) was in the stands to cheer on his friend Williams
Former US Open champion and teen prodigy Tracey Austin watches her compatriot race to victory
The 21-year-old produced a late rally in the second set, winning three games in a row, but could not stave off defeat
The world No1 was getting into her groove, and while her serving was still not fluent, her sheer power was starting to match and beat Muguruza and she went ahead with a hold. Muguruza was now hitting long two often and when she double faulted to hand Williams a break point, the American seized on it and took the first set.
Both women held serve at the start of the second set but it was Williams’ turn to falter slightly, perhaps as nerves crept back in at the prospect of a fourth straight Slam. But Williams sealed two straight breaks for a 5-1 lead.
Then against all the odds, Muguruza kept in it with a break of her own for 5-2, a hold for 5-3 and another break back for 5-4 playing with such confident shot-making and force that even Williams was applauding at one stage. But in the next game, Williams broke to love for yet another triumph.
The youngest Williams sibling has brought her tally of Grand Slam singles titles to 21 with victory at SW19
Williams looks despondent after losing her opening service game but reeled off four games in a row to win the first set
Although Muguruza lost the match, she won plenty of new fans during her gutsy run to the final
The pair pose together by the net before the start of the match before Williams ran out the winner
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