French Open 2016: Garbine Muguruza upsets Serena Williams to win title
Last updated on .From the section Tennis
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."
Muguruza wins power game
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 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.
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
"Grand Slam singles champions born in the 1990s are no longer unique. Muguruza emulated Petra Kvitova's achievement by winning here at the age of 22, which is very young by modern standards.
"She has the big serve, lethal power from the baseline, and showed a cool head and a strong heart to close out the match after Williams had saved those four championship points. Players are developing the belief to beat the world number one, but a semi-final and two finals from the last three Grand Slams show Williams is far from done yet."
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Congratulations Muguruza
She always has an excuse when beaten!!!
Serena is still an all time great and must be seen as one of the most prolific tennis players in the history of the game
Williams was rather lucky to beat Bertens in the semis and her luck ran out today, but she made no fuss, did not challenge the umpire or throw a tantrum so she deserves credit for her sportsmanship. She will still be hard to beat at Wimbledon.
Well what does that say about her competition over the last 20 years? Since she turned pro Serena has taken on and beaten grand slam winners such as Graff, Seles, Hingis, Davenport, Capirati, Pierce, Venus, Henin, Clijsters, Sharapova ...
At 34 her time is coming to an end but she is far more than just a 'slugger'.
She didn't blame her injury says the BBC, before quiting two passages in which she mentions her abductor. Then there's matches where when under pressure she goes from bambi to a one legged invalid needing treatment till the opponent is sufficiently put off. Show some class and dignity woman.
What an absolute star. I have tickets for Wimbledon and I hope I get to see her there, along with the British girls (Konta, Watson, Broady and Robson).
I am a fan. Just what the women's game needs.
Well done Garbine!
"And always will no matter how many titles Williams eventually hoovers up.
Williams is similar to Michael Schumacher, won the most ever titles but was never a "great"
Not greats? So they were average? Think the people who have competed against them and lost probabkly regard them as greats and they would be the ebst placed to judge,
"I hope this defeat makes the grunt think of retiring.
It will be nice to watch women's tennis again with the sound on"
You're joking !
Maria Sharapova & Victoria Azarenka's high-pitched shrieking is a lot more irritating.
Having watched a training session when on holiday i can see why.
Everything was done with fun and training in one.
Although not particularly a Williams fan she was more dignified in defeat than usual and it was good to see her address the crowd in French.
I tend to not like her demeanour on court, but I can respect the talent
My only regret is that the women players haven't apparently risen to the challenge of competing against her physicality, and spent time in the gym gaining the power.
Too many comparatively "dainty" 6 footers out there
I didn't use to like Serena much just because she was so much stronger and better than the others
But I think she's really matured as a person.
She is gracious in defeat and has learned French so that she can do post match interviews
Women's tennis has not been so competitive since Henin, Clisters & Mauresmo retired