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Garbiñe Muguruza earns stunning win over Serena Williams at French Open Garbiñe Muguruza calms nerves to stun Serena Williams at French Open
(35 minutes later)
Garbiñe Muguruza, whose name probably was as unfamiliar to most fans as her precocious tennis was to Serena Williamson Wednesday, spoke with the certainty of youth in the afterglow of her greatest win when she asserted: “Now is the moment.” Garbiñe Muguruza, whose name probably was as unfamiliar to most fans as her precocious tennis was to Serena Williamson Wednesday, spoke with the certainty of youth in the afterglow of her greatest win when she said: “Now is the moment.”
The 20-year-old Spaniard, having just put the defending champion out of the French Open in straight sets in the second round, was lending her voice to the growing chorus acclaiming the arrival of a new order. Not only did she win; in beating Williams 6-2, 6-2 in a tick over an hour – with no excuses coming from the world No1 – Muguruza inflicted the heaviest defeat of her career on the 32-year-old American. Williams has never won so few games in any of her 288 grand slam matches. That is a staggering statistic. The 20-year-old Spaniard, having just put the defending champion out of the French Open in straight sets in the second round, was lending her voice to the growing chorus acclaiming the arrival of a new order. Not only did she win; in beating Williams 6-2, 6-2 in a tick over an hour – with no excuses coming from the world No1 – Muguruza inflicted on the 32-year-old American the heaviest defeat of her career. Williams has never won so few games in any of her 288 grand slam matches. That is a staggering statistic.
They may well be premature in their judgment, these arrivistes, but there can be no denying their self-belief. “A change is coming,” Muguruza said. “This year a lot of young girls are playing really well. These things are going to happen. Some time the new generation [has to] come through, and I think now is the moment.” They may well be premature in their judgment, these arrivistes, but there can be no denying their self-belief. “A change is coming,” Muguruza said. “This year a lot of young girls are playing really well. These things are going to happen. Some time the new generation [has to] come through and I think now is the moment.”
As much as this was a day to absorb the scale of a decisive defeat for Williams, it also belonged to Muguruza, whose idol has always been the player she pretty much humiliated on Court Suzanne Lenglen. She revealed that when they met at the net at the end of the match, Williams said: “If you continue playing like this, you can win the tournament.” For all that this was a day to absorb the scale of a decisive defeat for Williams, it also belonged to Muguruza, whose idol has always been the player she pretty much humiliated on Court Suzanne Lenglen. She revealed that when they met at the net at the end of the match, Williams said: “If you continue playing like this, you can win the tournament.”
As gracious and uplifting a compliment as that was, winning the French Open in only her second visit to Roland Garros may be beyond the world No35, as there are still plenty of quality players left in the draw, and her next match, against the equally promising Slovak teenager, Anna Schmiedlova, looks an even-money proposition. Gracious and uplifting a compliment as that was, winning the French Open in only her second visit to Roland Garros may be beyond the world No35, as there are still plenty of quality players left in the draw, and her next match, against the equally promising Slovak teenager, Anna Schmiedlova, looks an even-money proposition.
Schmiedlova struck the first blow at the game’s crumbling royalty when she put out Serena’s sister, Venus, in three sets on Court Philippe Chatrier, a grand stage for an ignominious exit. It is a dozen years since the Williams sisters contested the final in Paris, Serena winning the first of her two titles.Schmiedlova struck the first blow at the game’s crumbling royalty when she put out Serena’s sister, Venus, in three sets on Court Philippe Chatrier, a grand stage for an ignominious exit. It is a dozen years since the Williams sisters contested the final in Paris, Serena winning the first of her two titles.
As for the No1 executioner on another day of sombre greyness, Muguruza could hardly have imagined when she played Williams in the first round of the Australian Open in 2013, where she scraped together only two games, that she would return the compliment with a similarly comprehensive victory. But she does not play down her talent.As for the No1 executioner on another day of sombre greyness, Muguruza could hardly have imagined when she played Williams in the first round of the Australian Open in 2013, where she scraped together only two games, that she would return the compliment with a similarly comprehensive victory. But she does not play down her talent.
“I like clay,” she said. “I have been practising all my life in Spain, so I feel really comfortable. Today I had everything really clear in my head. I knew what I had to do. That was the important part. There was a moment towards the end of the match when I thought: ‘Oh my god, I’m winning.’ It was 4-1, I think. I was nervous, but I said: ‘OK, be calm. She’s also nervous.” “I like clay,” she said. “I have been practising all my life in Spain, so I feel really comfortable. Today I had everything really clear in my head. I knew what I had to do. That was the important part. There was a moment towards the end of the match when I thought: ‘Oh my god, I’m winning.’ It was 4-1, I think. I was nervous but I said: ‘OK, be calm. She’s also nervous.”
How right she was. In what turned out to be Williams’s last service game, she chided the ball kids for not paying attention then fluffed a couple of shots and appeared on the verge of crying as she shook her head in frustration. How right she was. Williams, in what turned out to be her last service game, chided the ball kids for not paying attention, then fluffed a couple of shots and appeared on the verge of crying as she shook her head in frustration.
Muguruza served out without fuss, dragging a limp final backhand into the net from Williams, her 29th unforced error, and the deed was done. Muguruza served out without fuss, dragging from Williams a limp final backhand into the net, her 29th unforced error, and the deed was done.
“Since I was a child,” the still excited winner said an hour later, “whenever I turned on the TV, I saw her play. Everything, when I’m practising, [I see] how Serena serves, how she plays a backhand. I saw like 100 videos of her. It was really difficult to be able to be calm and say: ‘It’s just another player.’ But I think I did it.’“Since I was a child,” the still excited winner said an hour later, “whenever I turned on the TV, I saw her play. Everything, when I’m practising, [I see] how Serena serves, how she plays a backhand. I saw like 100 videos of her. It was really difficult to be able to be calm and say: ‘It’s just another player.’ But I think I did it.’
In a minor tremor, the American Taylor Townsend, the world No205, put out the 20th seed Alizé Cornet 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. In a minor tremor the American Taylor Townsend, the world No205, put out the 20th seed Alizé Cornet 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Elsewhere in the men’s drawon Wednesday, there was less reverence across the courts, perhaps, but no more thunderbolts after the shock departure on Monday of Stanislas Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori. Roger Federer glided through to the third round, dismissing an Argentinian who looked younger than some of the ballboys, Diego Sebastián Schwartzman, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, striking nine aces. Elsewhere in the men’s drawon Wednesday there was less reverence across the courts, perhaps, but no more thunderbolts after the shock departure on Monday of Stanislas Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori. Roger Federer glided through to the third round, dismissing an Argentinian who looked younger than some of the ballboys, Diego Sebastián Schwartzman, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, striking nine aces.
Novak Djokovic, favoured by many to check Rafael Nadal’s reign, was even less troubled in putting away Jérémy Chardy, the Frenchman who beat Federer in Rome last week on the Swiss’s return from paternity leave. The world No2, who will overtake Nadal in the rankings if he wins here, took an hour and a half to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.Novak Djokovic, favoured by many to check Rafael Nadal’s reign, was even less troubled in putting away Jérémy Chardy, the Frenchman who beat Federer in Rome last week on the Swiss’s return from paternity leave. The world No2, who will overtake Nadal in the rankings if he wins here, took an hour and a half to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Tomas Berdych dropped a set but went through, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won in three, as did Ernests Gulbis and Tommy Robredo, who had beaten Britain’s James Ward in the first round. Marin Cilic dropped a set but survived and Mikhail Youzhny, seeded No15 and in form, lost to Radek Stepanek.Tomas Berdych dropped a set but went through, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won in three, as did Ernests Gulbis and Tommy Robredo, who had beaten Britain’s James Ward in the first round. Marin Cilic dropped a set but survived and Mikhail Youzhny, seeded No15 and in form, lost to Radek Stepanek.
None of these constituted an earthquake. All the turbulence, for now, is on the other side.None of these constituted an earthquake. All the turbulence, for now, is on the other side.