Serena Williams Wins Her Sixth Wimbledon Singles Title

WIMBLEDON – She started off with three double faults. Her service motion wouldn’t link with her cerebrum. The fans on Centre Court were rooting against her, as always, and the young Spaniard across the net was competing with surprising grace under pressure.

This could have led to a bad ending for Serena Williams, but of course there are very few of those anymore. She completed the Serena Slam on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Garbine Muguruza in the Wimbledon final, and now is the current title holder in all four majors.

Amazingly, she has done this before in 2002-03. She has only the challenge of the U.S. Open this summer to complete a calendar year Grand Slam – matching Steffi Graf’s feat in 1988.

“I’ve been trying to win four in a row for a lot of years,” Williams said. “Having all four trophies at home is incredible.”

This final wasn’t the same, razor-sharp Williams who defeated Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinal. Her first serve went in and out all match and she played some very tentative groundstrokes at times. But the 21-year-old Muguruza -- too young to hold it together under such intense pressure -- unraveled late in the first set and then again early in the second. Those gifted unforced errors allowed Serena to get the job done, disappointing yet another Centre Court crowd.

Muguruza held the early lead, kept the drama going, until the eighth game, when Serena finally broke her with a mis-hit return and Muguruza’s confused, long forehand.

Williams found her groundstroke groove, broke again in the 10th game for the set on a gorgeous crosscourt forehand. The Spaniard then dissolved quickly, falling behind 1-5 in the second set before she made a late, NBA-style run.

“She was playing aces, winners, what can I do?” Muguruza said. “The best players, they play really good and then they win three, four games.

“With Serena, if you lose two points you’re not supposed to lose, you lose the match,” Muguruza said. “I think I fight all I can fight.”

The match would not end without a final twist. Serena practically gave away the seventh game on her serve. She then battled back from love-40 in the ninth game, only to blow a match point and then the game on Muguruza’s sharp forehand down the line. Suddenly the match was back on serve.

“There was definitely a little pressure toward the end,” Williams said. “Garbine made some great shots and that just made it harder.”

Muguruza double-faulted to start the 10th game, however, played some loose points and missed on a wide forehand for the match. The final shot was close enough to the sideline to cause some confusion for the players and the chair umpire, Alison Hughes. Serena’s celebration was delayed for about a minute later.

Then, finally, she got up from the chair and danced.

“Is that the match? Is that it? I didn’t hear her say, ‘Game, set, match.’ I was really confused,” Williams said.

Williams won her 21st major, and became the oldest singles champion of any major in the Open era – which could change, if Roger Federer beats Novak Djokovic on Sunday. She is 34 days older than Martina Navratilova, who also captured the crown at age 33 in 1990.

Other stats were even more remarkable: Williams now has won six Wimbledon titles, four of the last seven. She is 21-4 in Grand Slam finals. The Williams sisters have won 11 of the last 16 Wimbledon championships. During that same time span, no other American woman won here and only Pete Sampras captured his final Wimbledon title back in 2000.

Williams says she will be back. Muguruza also will be back for more. She’s a talented kid with a great upside.

“I felt free on the court, with no fear,” Muguruza said. “In Spain they don’t have that much grass, but I’m going to change things now.”

Some things she can overcome. Serena will be harder.

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