Muguruza Upsets Williams To Win French Open Title

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza beat world number one Serena Williams in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Fourth seed Muguruza won 7-5 6-4 to make amends for losing last year’s Wimbledon final against Williams.

The 22-year-old is Spain’s first female champion at Roland Garros since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1998.

Williams, 34, had hoped to win a 22nd Grand Slam singles title and tie Steffi Graf’s Open-era record.

“I’m so, so excited – to play in a Grand Slam against one of the best players, it’s the perfect final,” Muguruza said.

“I’m so happy. I had to be very ready and concentrated on all the points and just to fight as much as I can.

“All the matches I’ve played against her helped me. It’s our favourite tournament in Spain and I want to thank all my Spanish supporters.”

Williams had reached the final despite reportedly struggling with a thigh problem, but the defending champion began in terrific form, moving freely as she made the early running.

It was all Muguruza could do to hang on, a forehand and an ace seeing off early break points, and it was Williams who faltered first by dropping serve with a double fault at 2-2.

With both players hitting huge groundstrokes and vying for control of the rallies, Williams looked to have gained the upper hand with three games in a row taking her 5-4 in front.

However, Muguruza played a nerveless service game to stay in the set and then clinched it with some wonderful hitting down both tram lines.

The second set began with three breaks of serve but it was still Muguruza who was dictating, another stunning forehand into the corner moving her into a 3-1 lead.

Muguruza was prepared to concede double-faults – her tally ending up at nine – to keep Williams at bay on her second serve and it proved a successful tactic.

Williams could not fashion a break point in the latter stages of the second set and did well to fend off four match points on her own serve in game nine.

Muguruza remained rock solid, however, finally converting on her own serve with a lob that caught both players by surprise, before the Spaniard fell to the clay in celebration.

No excuses from Williams

Williams was trying to win her fourth French Open title – the first came back in 2002

Williams suffered only her sixth defeat in 27 Grand Slam finals stretching back to 1999, but did not blame her injury issues.

“It was OK,” she said. “I’m not one to ever make excuses and say, like, ‘Oh, my adductor was hurting,’ or whatever.

“At the end of the day I didn’t play the game I needed to play to win and she did. Adductor or not, she played to win.

“She won the first set by one point. I mean, that just goes to show you that you really have to play the big points well, and she played the big points really well.”

The American has now missed out in three consecutive Grand Slams, and will head to Wimbledon later this month looking to defend her title and finally land a 22nd major.

BBC

Muguruza Upsets Williams To Win French Open Title

Murray To Play Djokovic In French Open Final

Andy Murray has become the first British player to reach the final at Roland Garros for 79 years

Andy Murray powered into a 10th career Grand Slam final and a first at the French Open with a brilliant 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-2 win over defending champion Stan Wawrinka.

The world number two has moved through the gears in Paris after a couple of early five-set marathons, but he continued his fine form by ending Wawrinka’s hopes of repeating his 2015 success in the French capital.

Murray will face Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final after the world number one came through his semi-final with Dominic Thiem for the loss of just seven games – and it will be a seventh Grand Slam final meeting between the pair, Djokovic winning four of the previous six.

Stan Wawrinka’s defence of his French Open title ended after semi-final defeat

Wawrinka had been in inspired form and came into the match on the back of a 12-match winning streak at the French Open and had an early chance to break Murray in the Scot’s opening service game, but after an epic battle Murray held before breaking the Swiss in the third game.

Murray went on to close out the first set 6-4 before an inspired second set gave him a 2-0 lead in the match.

Wawrinka improved in the third set and struck in the 10th game for the only break to take the match into a fourth set.

But Murray started in ruthless fashion, breaking his opponent in the opening game before going on to close out the set with a dominant performance on his own serve to become Britain’s first French Open finalist since Bunny Austin in 1937 and set up yet another final date with Djokovic.

SKYSPORTS

Murray To Play Djokovic In French Open Final

Novak Djokovic Into French Open Semis

Novak Djokovic remains on a collision course with Andy Murray for the final

Novak Djokovic has progressed into the semi-finals of the French Open after eliminating Tomas Berdych in straight sets.

The 6-3 7-5 6-3 quarter-final win means Djokovic will meet either Dominic Thiem or David Goffin in the final four, with Andy Murray playing Stan Wawrinka in the other semi.

The world No 1 was never truly troubled by Berdych and marched into the last four having dropped just one set, to last-16 opponent Roberto Bautista Agut, en route.

Tomas Berdych was frustrated by the rain delay

He raced through the opening set and, even when confronted by resistance at 5-5 in the second, the Serb broke at the crucial time to avoid a tie-break.

Berdych broke as the third set began but Djokovic immediately replied with his own, before the match was briefly suspended due to rain at 3-3. No sooner had they returned, Djokovic broke to go 5-3 ahead before serving out the match.

Thursday’s result edges Djokovic one step closer to challenging for the only Grand Slam that still eludes him.

Should he finally lift the Roland Garros trophy, Djokovic would be the simultaneous champion of all four Grand Slams.

In beating Berdych, Djokovic extends his winning record to 24-2 in their career head-to-head.

Novak Djokovic Into French Open Semis