For the second time in less than a year Garbine Muguruza will be the final obstacle in Serena Williams’ path as the world No 1 continues her relentless assault on the sport’s history books.
At Wimbledon last summer Muguruza was unable to prevent the world number 1 - from completing her second “Serena Slam” – holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.
Tomorrow the Spaniard will attempt to stop the American equaling Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
While Gabine Muguruza swept into the final with an emphatic victory over Sam Stosur, beating the Australian 6-2, 6-4 in just an hour and a quarter,
Serena Williams had a more complicated passage in a meeting between two players who were struggling with injuries. Serena beat Kiki Bertens 7-6, 6-4, but only after saving a set point in the first set.
After a tournament littered with early defeats for many of the leading women, Saturday's final will be a match to relish, bringing together the world’s best player and arguably the brightest prospect among the next generation.
Gabine Muguruza, the world No 4, is only 22 but this will be her fifth meeting with the world number 1, and all of their encounters having come in Grand Slam tournaments.
Serena Williams’ 6-4, 6-4 victory at Wimbledon last summer in Muguruza’s first appearance in a Grand Slam final was their most recent encounter, but the match that might feature more prominently in both players’ minds was their meeting here in the second round two years ago.
In losing 6-2, 6-2 in her only defeat to Muguruza, Williams suffered what is still her heaviest defeat in the 337 Grand Slam matches she has played.
“I think Muguruza has been playing really well,” Williams said after reaching the 90th singles final of her career. “She's been playing a really aggressive game and going for her shots. Regardless, I think it will be a good match. The last time we played here in France she was able to win the match. I learned so much from that match
Williams, three times a champion here, added: “I don't really want to elaborate, but it was a really unbelievable lesson for me. It propelled me to many, many, many wins after that.”
Court Suzanne Lenglen was less than half full for most of Muguruza’s victory over Stosur. In the original tournament schedule the second court would have not staged any singles matches on the second Friday, but the rain-interrupted programme earlier in the week meant that Lenglen staged a women’s and a men’s semi-final.
The tournament announced last night that tickets would be available on Lenglen for just 20 euros (about £16) but there was not exactly a stampede to watch the first match.
In comparable circumstances at Wimbledon you could imagine that thousands would have been queuing in Wimbledon Park the night before.
Muguruza came out bristling with aggression, forcing Stosur to defend from the very first point, and was soon 4-0 up. Stosur finally got on the scoreboard by holding serve but Muguruza served out for the set in just 32 minutes.
When Muguruza broke in the opening game of the second set it seemed that we might be heading for a rout. Stosur levelled at 2-2, but dropped serve again in the following game, double-faulting on break point.
Another break saw Muguruza go 5-2 up, but to Stosur’s credit the 32-year-old Australian made her opponent work for her victory.
With Muguruza tightening up, Stosur broke to love when Muguruza served for the match for the first time and then held in the following game to put renewed pressure on the Spaniard.
When she served at 5-4 Muguruza hit double faults on two of the first three points before digging her way out of trouble with two successive aces.
On her first match point Stosur netted a forehand to give Muguruza victory after an hour and 16 minutes and take her into her first clay-court final.
After reaching last summer’s Wimbledon final Muguruza initially struggled to cope with her new-found fame, but she has looked full of confidence here. “I have learned a lot how to control my emotions inside the court and outside the court,” she said. “In a tournament like this you have to be very focused. It’s very long. Even longer with this kind of weather where you have to wait a lot.”
At Wimbledon last summer Muguruza was unable to prevent the world number 1 - from completing her second “Serena Slam” – holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.
Tomorrow the Spaniard will attempt to stop the American equaling Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
While Gabine Muguruza swept into the final with an emphatic victory over Sam Stosur, beating the Australian 6-2, 6-4 in just an hour and a quarter,
Serena Williams had a more complicated passage in a meeting between two players who were struggling with injuries. Serena beat Kiki Bertens 7-6, 6-4, but only after saving a set point in the first set.
After a tournament littered with early defeats for many of the leading women, Saturday's final will be a match to relish, bringing together the world’s best player and arguably the brightest prospect among the next generation.
Serena Williams’ 6-4, 6-4 victory at Wimbledon last summer in Muguruza’s first appearance in a Grand Slam final was their most recent encounter, but the match that might feature more prominently in both players’ minds was their meeting here in the second round two years ago.
In losing 6-2, 6-2 in her only defeat to Muguruza, Williams suffered what is still her heaviest defeat in the 337 Grand Slam matches she has played.
“I think Muguruza has been playing really well,” Williams said after reaching the 90th singles final of her career. “She's been playing a really aggressive game and going for her shots. Regardless, I think it will be a good match. The last time we played here in France she was able to win the match. I learned so much from that match
Williams, three times a champion here, added: “I don't really want to elaborate, but it was a really unbelievable lesson for me. It propelled me to many, many, many wins after that.”
Court Suzanne Lenglen was less than half full for most of Muguruza’s victory over Stosur. In the original tournament schedule the second court would have not staged any singles matches on the second Friday, but the rain-interrupted programme earlier in the week meant that Lenglen staged a women’s and a men’s semi-final.
The tournament announced last night that tickets would be available on Lenglen for just 20 euros (about £16) but there was not exactly a stampede to watch the first match.
In comparable circumstances at Wimbledon you could imagine that thousands would have been queuing in Wimbledon Park the night before.
Muguruza came out bristling with aggression, forcing Stosur to defend from the very first point, and was soon 4-0 up. Stosur finally got on the scoreboard by holding serve but Muguruza served out for the set in just 32 minutes.
When Muguruza broke in the opening game of the second set it seemed that we might be heading for a rout. Stosur levelled at 2-2, but dropped serve again in the following game, double-faulting on break point.
Another break saw Muguruza go 5-2 up, but to Stosur’s credit the 32-year-old Australian made her opponent work for her victory.
With Muguruza tightening up, Stosur broke to love when Muguruza served for the match for the first time and then held in the following game to put renewed pressure on the Spaniard.
When she served at 5-4 Muguruza hit double faults on two of the first three points before digging her way out of trouble with two successive aces.
On her first match point Stosur netted a forehand to give Muguruza victory after an hour and 16 minutes and take her into her first clay-court final.
After reaching last summer’s Wimbledon final Muguruza initially struggled to cope with her new-found fame, but she has looked full of confidence here. “I have learned a lot how to control my emotions inside the court and outside the court,” she said. “In a tournament like this you have to be very focused. It’s very long. Even longer with this kind of weather where you have to wait a lot.”
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