Muguruza wins French Open, denying Williams 22nd major title

Muguruza also managed to deal with Williams' dangerous serve, breaking three consecutive times from late in the first set to early in the second.

This was Muguruza's second major final; she lost to Williams at Wimbledon last year. But Muguruza has won her past two matches against Williams on the clay of Roland Garros, including in the second round in 2014.

For Williams, whose timing was not exactly right much of the afternoon, Saturday's loss delayed yet again her pursuit of matching Steffi Graf with 22 Grand Slam singles championships, the most in the Open era, which began in 1968. Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 24.

Williams got No. 21 at Wimbledon in 2015, her fourth major title in a row. But since then, she has been beaten in the semifinals at the US Open by Roberta Vinci last September, in the final at the Australian Open by Angelique Kerber in January, and now by Muguruza. This is the first time in Williams' career she has lost back-to-back Grand Slam finals.

This year's visit to Paris hardly could have started off more inauspiciously for Muguruza: She lost the very first set she played in the tournament, against 38th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

But, oh, how Muguruza turned things around from there. She won the next 14 sets she played, displaying the deep groundstrokes and take-the-ball-early aggressiveness that flustered Williams.

The final began under a slate ceiling of clouds, but at least there was none of the heavy rain that led to flooding in Paris and a temporary shutdown of the Louvre museum. All those showers jumbled the tournament schedule, forcing Williams to be in action for a fourth straight day in the final.

Muguruza won the prematch coin toss and let Williams serve first, a fascinating choice given that Williams is widely regarded as the best server in the women's game, perhaps ever. And the decision seemed only more dubious as Muguruza managed to put the ball on play on only one of the first six points Williams served. On one early point, Muguruza whiffed completely on an attempted backhand return of an 89 mph (143 kph) high-kicking second serve.

And yet, it all wound up working out. And how. Muguruza broke a total of four times, twice in each set.

After saving two break points herself to get to 2-all, Muguruza nosed ahead first, when Williams combined three errant backhands with a double-fault to hand over the lead.

An additional dose of confidence arrived in the next game, despite beginning with two-double faults to create a love-30 hole. Muguruza quickly pulled herself out, taking the next four points to go up 4-2, capped by a down-the-line forehand winner on the 11th stroke of the exchange.

Muguruza won all six points of 10 shots or more in that opening set and, indeed, there was no junkballing on this day. Both women hit hard, quite hard, trading bold forehands and backhands from the baseline. Seemed unfair to characterize nearly anything as an "unforced error," considering the way each made things so tough on the other.

But it was Williams who had more difficulty putting shots right where she wanted, an unusual sight. She wound up with 39 forced errors, 18 more than Muguruza.

Still, Williams broke to 4-all, and they were at 5-all when Muguruza regained control. She hit a backhand winner, then drew two miscues by Williams. When Muguruza smacked a backhand winner on her third set point, she was one set from the championship.

She then broke in Williams' next two service games, as well, enough of a lead to make her first seriously significant shakiness — three double-faults in one game, including on the last two points — to become irrelevant.

Muguruza held four match points while leading 5-3 as Williams served. But it would not end right then and there. Williams, resilient as they come, staved off the full quartet, forcing Muguruza to try to serve for the victory. And that she did, converting her fifth match point, the last she would need, with a delightful lob that landed right on the opposite baseline.

Maybe stunned by that shot, maybe stunned that she was now a Grand Slam champion, Muguruza turned toward her coach and other supporters in the stands with a blank expression. Soon, she was flat on her back, caking her dress and arms with the rust-colored clay she will never forget.

Spain's Muguruza wins French Open title

PARIS: Spanish fourth seed Garbine Muguruza claimed her maiden grand slam title when she beat world number one and defending champion Serena Williams 7-5 6-4 in the French Open final on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, who lost to Williams in last year's Wimbledon final, is the first Spaniard to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1998.

FACTBOX

Factbox on Spain's Garbine Muguruza, who beat Serena Williams 7-5 6-4 to win the French Open on Saturday and claim her first grand slam title:

Born: Caracas, Venezuela, on October 8, 1993 (Age: 22)

Grand Slam career best results: Australian Open - fourth round (2014-15); French Open - winner 2016; Wimbledon - runner-up (2015); U.S. Open - second round (2015)

  • Muguruza is the first Spanish woman to win the Roland Garros title since Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario in 1998.
  • Saturday's match was her first claycourt final.
  • Muguruza dropped only one set in reaching the final, against Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in round one.
  • Muguruza was also the last player to defeat Serena Williams at Roland Garros, beating the American 6-2 6-2 in the second round in 2014.
  • Saturday's title was just Muguruza's third on the main women's tour, after the Hobart International in 2014 and the China Open in 2015.
  • Serena Williams and Pete Sampras were her favourite tennis players as a child.
  • Won the title for the loss of only one set.

Making her name

Her mother (Scarlet Blanco) is from Venezuela and father (Jose) is Spanish.

Began playing tennis aged three

Trained at the Bruguera Tennis Academy near Barcelona.

Turned pro in 2011 and won four titles on the ITF circuit.

Career to date

In 2012 she scored her first win against a top-10 player (Vera Zvonareva) in Miami in her second WTA main draw match.

Won her first singles title at Hobart in 2014 and ended the year ranked 21 in the world.

Breakthrough season in 2015. Won the Beijing title and reached Wimbledon final and qualified for WTA Finals, where she reached the semis.

Rose to world number three by end of year.

Slow start to 2016, but form returned at Miami where she reached last 16 and lost a tight battle against Victoria Azarenka. Semi-finalist in Rome.

Coached by Frenchman Sam Sumyk who has also worked with Victoria Azarenka and Eugenie Bouchard.

Now lives in Geneva.