Muguruza too strong for tiring Venus

Muguruza, initially anxious and distinctly tight, got stronger and stronger in her impressive march to a victory that earned her £2.2m and will tomorrow elevate her back up to the position of world No 5 in the WTA rankings.

By contrast Williams, who six years ago was diagnosed with the debilitating auto-immune disease Sjögren’s syndrome which, she admits, leaves her feeling “beat up” on a daily basis, seemed increasingly weary and ultimately unable to offer any form of opposition.

The common consensus was that watching such an illustrious champion struggle in such a high-profile match was almost distressing, but Williams craved no pity and simply insisted: “She played top tennis, so I have to give her credit for just playing a better match.”

Not once did Williams even come close to using her illness as an excuse and despite repeated questioning on the subject, she refused to buckle. “I’ve been in a position a lot of times this year to contend for big titles,” she insisted. “That’s the kind of position I want to keep putting myself in. It’s just about getting over the line. I believe I can do that.”

And such a calamitous collapse certainly did not prompt any thoughts of retirement. “I’ve had a great two weeks and now I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer,” said the American, who was contesting her 15th Grand Slam final and playing for the 19th year at Wimbledon.

In so many ways this was a match to look back at the way Venus and her younger sister, Serena, have forever changed the face of the women’s game and perhaps mourn the fact that the Williams era now seems to be drawing to a close just six months after the pair contested the Australian Open final.

It also gave good reason to look forward with optimism, however, because Muguruza, clearly in possession of star quality since losing the 2015 Wimbledon final to Serena, seems to have come of age.

Muguruza said she was delighted to be playing Williams in the final because the two sisters had been great heroines throughout her childhood and formative tennis years. “I was so excited to go out there and win, especially over somebody like a role model,” she said.

And the tall, 23-year-old right-hander added: “Since I lost the final here I wanted to change that fact and I came thinking, ‘I’m prepared, I feel good.’ Although I lost that final, I knew I was close. I didn’t want to lose this time, because I really know the difference. Now I’m so happy that my name is up there on the board that has all the winners’ names.”

Perhaps the outcome might have been different had Williams capitalised on the two set points she allowed to slip when receiving at 5-4 in the opening set. On the first she directed a forehand into the net and the second was negated by a determined service winner from the Spaniard.

Up to that point the final was an engrossing contest. Muguruza had seemed to get over the initial nerves that caused her to deliver a double fault with her first two serves and spray her forehand repeatedly long and wide. The Muguruza serve had developed into a constant threat for Williams, repeatedly curving into her body with good effect, and both players were hitting their groundstrokes forcibly and to a good length. Quality tennis was abundant.

But such exertion seemed to take its toll and after one particularly exhausting 19-stroke rally, Williams’ reserves of energy suddenly seemed depleted. She lost the final three games of the first set, allowing Muguruza the crucial break of serve by hitting a forehand long. She then played lamentably in a second set that ceased to be a contest.

“I just kept fighting all the way,” said Muguruza who has not contested another final on the WTA circuit since her victory at Roland Garros. “I knew that if I kept playing like I was during the two weeks, I was eventually going to have an opportunity.”

A double fault meant the Williams serve was immediately broken and increasingly she seemed slower in her movement and less able to launch into the powerful groundstrokes that punctuated the opening games of the encounter.

Only four times previously in the championships had Muguruza’s serve been broken and the nearest Williams got to playing herself back into contention was 40-30.

The 14th seed was now completely in control. Unleashing a great variety of forceful shots, the most damaging to Williams’ ego a vicious, double-fisted backhand that sped across the court, Muguruza almost seemed to want to increase Williams’ suffering.

However the last shot of the final required the judgment of Hawk-Eye technology to determine that Williams’ last, sad effort flew an inch long of the baseline.

CUTTING UP ROUGH ON CENTRE COURT
Last week Novak Djokovic complained about the surface on Wimbledon’s premier stage. ‘Many players, I mean, I’m not the only one, have been complaining a little bit about the condition of [centre] court,’ said Djokovic after his win over Adrian Mannarino on Tuesday.

‘The fact is that, you know, the court is not in a great condition. The umpire in the end of the match asked me about the hole, because midway through the match I mentioned there is a hole. He wanted me to show him, so I showed him.’ It’s lucky Djokovic is not playing today because, as the above photo shows, the holes and cracks keep appearing

THE SPANIARD WHO SHOWED THE WAY
Before yesterday, Muguruza’s coach, Conchita Martinez was the only Spaniard to have won the Wimbledon women’s singles title. Martinez beat Martina Navratilova in the 1994 final. Her opponent was 37 at the time, as Venus Williams now is

STARS OF SCREEN TAKE THEIR SEATS
Among the celebrities at yesterday’s final were Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci and Poldark stars Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson. Also in attendance were baking queen Mary Berry and double Olympic champion Michael Johnson