Tennis News

Courtney Nguyen, Point: When World No.1 Serena Williams takes to Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday for the Roland Garros final, she’ll be looking to match Stefanie Graf’s Open Era record of 22 major singles title, successfully defend her French Open title for the first time in her career, and capture her fourth French Open title. And she’ll be the underdog.

No really, bear with me.

Serena arrives at her second major final of the season on the slightest of sputters. In three of her last four matches she’s looked nervous, out-of-rhythm and, at times, injured. The World No.1 has dropped just one set en route to the final but looked far from convincing in her last two matches, a three-set win over Yulia Putintseva in the quarterfinals and a narrow straight-set win over Kiki Bertens in the semifinals.

After the semifinals she reluctantly confirmed a report that she was dealing with an adductor injury. Due to the rainouts and scheduling shuffles, Saturday’s final will be the 34-year-old’s fourth consecutive day of play.

Serena has not faced a Top 10 opponent all tournament and she’ll see a huge step up in quality when she faces No.4 Garbiñe Muguruza. The Spaniard brushed off a nervous, three-set opening win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova to roll through her next five matches without losing a set. She is fit, she is healthy, and she is confident. And she has the confidence in knowing she handed Serena one of her worst losses ever at a Slam, a 6-2, 6-2 rout here in Paris two years ago. Muguruza is in-form. Serena has looked shaky.

But how much will that matter, if at all, in the final?

For all of Serena’s ups and downs, we know she wins on one significant metric: experience. That’s what got her through against Putintseva. The youngster from Kazakhstan was five points away from the win, but it was Serena who stood tall and found her best when her back was against the wall. Similarly, Bertens was up a break in both sets and held a set point in the tie-break. Serena snuffed out the charge by sheer force of will. Flash back to the third round when the American rallied from 2-5 down in the second set tiebreaker to Kristina Mladenovic to seal a 12-10 win.

This is simply what Serena Williams does. Even in a year when she’s perceived to be slumping, her run in Paris has vaulted her up to No.1 in the Road to Singapore Leaderboard.

“Obviously I want to do well and I would like to win tomorrow,” Serena said. “But, you know, I think Muguruza has been playing really well. She’s been playing a really aggressive game and going for her shots. Regardless, I think it will be a good match. I mean, last time we played here in France she was able to win the match.

“I learned so much from that match. I hate to lose, but when I do, you know, I hope it was worth it. That match was definitely one of those that was kind of needed and worth it.”

Serena holds a 3-1 edge in her head-to-head against Muguruza. All their matches have come at the Slams, with the most recent being the 2015 Wimbledon final, which Serena won 6-4, 6-4. Muguruza gave her a tough test that day but again, Serena’s willpower, weapons, and yes, experience, led to the win. Muguruza was green then and she will be less green on Saturday when she competes in her second major final. But again, Serena has been here before. Many times. And more often than not she’s come through.

In fact, all Serena needs to look back on for inspiration is her title run here in Paris a year ago. On the brink of defeat match after match, and suffering from a virus, she won five three-set matches during the fortnight, four in which she dropped the first set, including three back-to-back to win the title. As Putintseva so eloquently put it after her three-set loss: “I think the match was very close and very far from being on my side.”

That’s the pressure you feel when you’re up against the sport’s greatest escape artist, who has at her disposal some of the greatest weapons the game has ever seen. Muguruza will no doubt come out firing. But with a 21-5 record in Slam finals, Serena has the resources she can count on to get to the finish line.

David Kane, Counterpoint: Garbiñe Muguruza’s two weeks on the terre battue could easily serve as a microcosm of her season thus far. A slow start in the first round against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova caused many to wonder whether the Spaniard was ready to win the requisite six matches to reach her second Grand Slam final.

But Muguruza recovered, and has looked better and better as the tournament progressed, easing past 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets and weathering the storms – both literal and figurative – to outlast Shelby Rogers in the quarterfinals.

The first Spanish woman in a French Open final since Conchita Martinez in 2000, Muguruza could become the second-ever from Spain to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen after Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, who won the event three times (1989, 1994, 1998). But Muguruza admits she found herself idolizing another of her compatriots as she grew up and into the game.

“With Arantxa, the problem was that I was very young. I didn’t watch her. I watched her after, when I was, you know, more into tennis. But when I was that young I was not even watching tennis, so I didn’t catch her.

“But I caught more of Rafa when I was younger and like looking at him here, you know, every year winning, like, ‘No way! He did it again and he did it and he did it!’ So I think he inspired me more.”

Barring a slight hiccup when it came time to serve for the match, her semifinal victory over 2010 finalist and No.21 seed Samantha Stosur was her most emphatic of the fortnight, one that featured 20 winners and five aces, three of which arrived in the final game to extinguish a late Stosur surge.

Her biggest result may have been at Wimbledon, but her breakthrough came in Paris, when she stunned World No.1 Serena Williams in the second round en route to the quarterfinals. Her rivalry with Williams has been reserved for the game’s biggest stages, as all four of their matches have come at major tournaments; though the last two matches have gone the way of the American, Muguruza led by a set at last year’s Australian Open and played tough through two sets at the aforementioned All England Club encounter.

While Muguruza has soared, Serena has struggled, getting within five points of a loss to Yulia Putintseva in the quarterfinals and edging past an injured Kiki Bertens on Friday.

“I think that she and I are players who like dictating the game. We like dominating the game. I think I’m going to fight for each point. There will be moments when she’ll be dominating, and maybe at times I will be dominating.

“I think I can be a tough opponent, too.”

Muguruza has built a reputation for hot streaks throughout her surge up the rankings, yet her 2016 had been a season of subtle gains and steadily improving results, narrowly losing to Victoria Azarenka in Miami and Madison Keys in the semifinals of Rome.

Her coaching partnership with Sam Sumyk seems to have come into its own after a rocky start. Ahead of Saturday’s final, she could have few better in her corner than the former coach of Azarenka, who helped the Belarusian reach the No.1 ranking and earn back-to-back final wins against Serena in 2013.

“I have learned a lot how to control my emotions inside the court and outside the court. I think it’s very important, because sometimes it’s not too good to show them or to not be in control of them.”

The Spaniard has made no secret that the French Open is a tournament she grew up dreaming of winning, and at 22 years old, she just may be ready to make that dream come true.

“Here at Roland Garros, it’s special for Spanish people. I think for everyone, but Roland Garros in Spain is, like, everything. I don’t know. It’s like a second home here.”

-All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

PARIS, France – 16-year-old Rebeka Masarova became the latest Swiss standout on Sunday, upsetting No.2 seed Amanda Anisimova, 7-5, 7-5, to win her first junior Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Anisimova is just 14 years old and made her first splash on the junior circuit last fall, when she made the semifinals of the Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships, but Masarova is coming off of a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open back in January, and emerged victorious from a 48 minute opening set in which she twice trailed by a break of serve.

Masarova edged ahead 5-2 in the second, but the young American broke back as the No.12 seed served for the match, leveling the contest at five games apiece. Undaunted, the Swiss youngster broke back once more to clinch the biggest title of her young career.

“I was really nervous in the beginning,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Then at the end I was 5-2 up in the second set and my opponent also was playing very good. I did some mistakes, and I went 5-5; she went to 5-5.

“I was really nervous. I knew I had to do break. But I held my serve and then I broke her in the end.”

Winning the junior French Open has proved to be quite auspicious as nearly every winner – including fellow Swiss stars Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic – has gone on to transition into a successful career on the WTA tour.

“It sounds crazy to say I’m a Grand Slam champion; I’m so happy I won this slam. And, I don’t know, I still have to like realize it.

“My goal was to reach the Top 3 [on the ITF junior rankings]. I think I did it with this tournament. I will try to reach No.1 in juniors. I will play some pros and I will prepare for Wimbledon, as well.”

Watching from afar was Bencic herself; the 2013 girl’s singles champion and the youngest Top 10 debutante since Caroline Wozniacki is making her return at the Ricoh Open from a back injury that kept her out of the French Open, and tweeted out a congratulatory message to her young compatriot.

Woohuu!! Congrats!! ????????????? https://t.co/5mm9yfCUeV

— Belinda Bencic (@BelindaBencic) June 5, 2016

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

PARIS, France – Hours had passed by the time Garbiñe Muguruza walked into the interview room following her 7-5, 6-4 win over Serena Williams to win her first major title at Roland Garros. Throughout the week the now World No.2 was primarily greeted by a half-full room of Spanish reporters — there had been a combined six English questions for her in her two previous press conferences.

Now, after a commanding win over the World No.1, she faced a standing-room only crowd of reporters. As reporters applauded, she strolled up to the dais and placed the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen next to her and sat down. And then she scooted the trophy just a little bit closer and smiled. It was hers. No really, it was hers.

Here’s what the 22-year-old Spaniard had to say to both the English press and Spanish press after her big win on Saturday.

Moderator: Questions in English?

Q. When you had those four match points and then you had to serve for it, what was going through your mind? You looked so composed. I guess inside it wasn’t that easy.
MUGURUZA: Yeah, it was very difficult to see you have four match points and doesn’t go your way. But it’s a final. There’s no room for being disappointed or for excuses, Oh, I had four match points.

I still had another chance serving, and even after. I just tried to be calm even though inside, I was like, Oh, there’s no way. Then I managed to be calm and just think about what I have to do every point, and don’t think about match point or championship point.

Q. Can you try and describe your feelings on the match point that you did win, that lob? Took you a second to realize you won. Can you tell us what went through your mind?
MUGURUZA: It was really weird. Serena was in front of the ball so I didn’t know if it was in or out. I looked at the chair umpire and chair umpire doesn’t want to say anything. Line judge doesn’t want to say anything.

I was like, Did I win Roland Garros? What happened? When he said, Game, set, and match, I was like, No way. I won. It was like amazing.

Q. I saw you got a tweet from Rafa. When you watched him winning all those titles did you think that one day it would be you?
MUGURUZA: You know what I thought? Like how can he win nine times? Right away I’m like, That’s impossible to do it again. (Smiling.)

But, you know, reading that tweet about Rafa, it’s great for us. For Spanish people this is the tournament. When you’re a kid and you practice on clay you always, Oh, I wish I could win Roland Garros. Today is a great day.

Q. This is the first clay title for you, which is Roland Garros. How do you explain about that?
MUGURUZA: Well, for sure not bad. The previous years here I felt good in French Open playing. I reached two times quarterfinals, so I was there. But, I mean, to start [my] clay [career] with this title, for sure it’s impossible to be better.

Q. How could you not cry?
MUGURUZA: No. I was crying, but I was like, — I was putting my tears away. I was crying. But I’m like, No way. No way I won. I did cry. (Smiling.)

But I have to say I was trying to be composed. As I started the tournament my objective was to not very emotional and to go every match. Doesn’t matter which round it was, but to be calm.

I didn’t know what to do, honestly. To jump, to go to the floor. At the moment, I’m like heart attack almost.

Q. Did you surprise yourself at all how you handled the final?
MUGURUZA: Well, every match I played until I reached the final I was a little bit improving. You know, today was just that challenge. You got to face the best player in the final. You know you’ve got to perform well. Your chances of winning playing bad are very low.

I knew, Come on, Garbiñe. This is your chance again. Go for it. Just go for it. And breathe. I did it kind of. (Smiling.)

Q. With the tough start to this year that you had, when did you think that winning this year’s French Open could be even possible?
MUGURUZA: Well, I had it in mind. It’s not that I can’t imagine, because I reached good rounds. I believe I can do it. Just didn’t go my way at the beginning of the year.

But that doesn’t mean that it’s not going to go after. So I have been practicing and working hard. I knew eventually I will start to feel better, so that’s the way of tennis. It’s so long. One tournament you win; the next one you lose in first round. So it’s hard.

Q. You obviously beat Serena at this tournament, but you also played her in a Grand Slam final in the last year, which is a different occasion. What did you learn from that first final and were you able to draw on that or use that in this match today?
MUGURUZA: Yeah, for sure. But not only that match, all the matches I played against her. I felt I had a lot of opportunities against her, and I just thought in Wimbledon I was very nervous. I couldn’t really control that. I can’t think about, Oh, I wish I could be less nervous, but that’s hard to say.

I just put that aside today. I was like, Come on. Let’s go for it. Forget about the nerves, even though it’s hard. I just had a little different mindset today.

Q. You have become the 11th player from Spain to win a Grand Slam. Do you think your victory will serve as an inspiration for people in Venezuela even though you identify yourself as a Spaniard?
MUGURUZA: Well, I hope so. That’s the best when you inspire people, when people tell you, Oh, I wish I could play like you and to be like that. I think that’s great to hear, especially for kids. They are so excited it’s like, Oh, so cool.

So, yeah, I hope so. Venezuela, I always have it in my heart even though there is a Spanish flag under my name. I have a lot of support from there similar to Spanish, which is amazing. I not only play for Spain. I play for both.

Q. What was the one quality that brought you through the tournament this year, do you think?
MUGURUZA: I have been saying during the whole week to be less emotional. To believe more that I’m here because I deserve my place here. I earned it. You know, I played well. I earned to be here in the final.

I think just to don’t think about other stuff. Just give it all in the court and doesn’t matter who’s in front, which round it is. Just to control the emotions I think is the key sometimes, especially in a Grand Slam where you’re very nervous and excited.

Q. Sam Sumyk, what advice did he give you, in particular?
MUGURUZA: Well, I always say that Sam is a great professional because he has been in the top level, and that’s not easy to find on people, because not all the people reach top level.

But I think experience. I think it’s the voice of experience telling me sometimes, Hey, I think this is better. Been there; I felt it. Well, he’s not have been there, but with the team and with their players. It’s great to hear something that is real, because it has reasons behind that. I’m like, Oh, great. I’ll try to do it.

So experience.

Q. It seems like the crowd likes you here. Do you think it’s because your coach is French or…
MUGURUZA: Oh, no. I wish that’s not the reason. (Smiling.)

Well, for sure. But honestly I don’t know. I felt during the whole two weeks a lot of support. I just think maybe they want a Spanish woman to win the tournament. They are like, Come on. Always Nadal. How about a Spanish woman? I’m very surprised with the crowd, yeah.

Q. Do you think you played lights out, best that you could have possibly played? Do you feel like you were a level below what you would consider your best? How would you rate how well you played today?
MUGURUZA: I think I played well considering the circumstances. It was difficult to get into the match, because we are very powerful players, so it was very hard to have a point with three shots. It was all about the serve, return, first two groundstrokes.

I think I played very well. I think I could serve better. But for sure I’m pretty happy with my performance, yeah.

Q. You were already No.3 in the world in October last year. How come you only won two tournaments in your life? How do you explain that? That’s difficult for us to understand, especially today.
MUGURUZA: Well, the first question, I think the important tournaments are the ones you’ve got to play well, the ones that really count, the ones that really take you to the top level.

At the end I was like – last year I’m like, Well, I did a final in Grand Slam; I won that tournament. But they’re important, so that means a lot of points and a lot of to the top level, I guess.

Q. What do you think was the technical key to win today?
MUGURUZA: I just have a very aggressive game. I go for my shots with no regrets, even if I play to the fence. I don’t think I did nothing special today. Just a lot of confidence. Just a lot of — like how can I explain? Like attack mindset, you know, to her. That worked.

Q. Do you think watching Kerber winning against Serena in Melbourne has given you a bit more belief for this final? Was it in your mind, Okay, she did it? Maybe that means the opening can be for me, too?
MUGURUZA: Yeah, I thought about it. I thought about it yesterday. I’m like, Come on. You can do it.

When you see people that are winning and there’s new faces, makes you think like, I can be one of those faces. I can be the one who — Hey, if Kerber can I can, or whoever is there. Yeah, for sure, it helps to see new faces.

Moderator: Questions in Spanish.

Q. What did you feel during the last game when the chair umpire said, Game, set, match?
MUGURUZA: Well, there was a moment when nobody knew and would say that I had won the match. People are asking me what I feel, but it’s several things that I’m feeling. It’s a dream come true. It’s a tournament that I’ve always wanted to win. It’s done now. I’ve done it. It’s on my list.

Q. People are talking about your ambition and the fact that you like competition. Can you tell us more about this, how you intend to compete and how this has helped you in Paris?
MUGURUZA: I think I’m ambitious. I think I have a strong character and I like competition. I like to compete. I like to play against the best players. This is a source of motivation for me.

I’m very happy, because today I proved to myself that I can play really well, that I can manage my stress and win against one of the best players in the world.

Q. There were very important moments, for instance, the match points, 15-40, and you were serving for the set. Which is the moment when you felt was the best moment for you, you were stronger, or that was a turnaround point?
MUGURUZA: Well, you know, Serena is never going to give you the impression that you dominate the match. She’s very powerful. Her serve is very impressive. She can win games very quickly. I wouldn’t say there is one point that was more important than any of the other ones.

It’s true that after winning the first set I managed to calm down a little. I thought I got off to a good start. I wouldn’t say that there was any specific moment that was a turnaround type of moment.

Q. Was there something in your tennis that you wanted to improve?
MUGURUZA: Well, a bit of everything, I’d say. Frankly, I have to improve many things in my tennis. That’s what I’m working on. I could have served better, for instance, today. I wasn’t feeling that comfortable when I was serving.

And by the way, that’s the only shot that you can really totally control. So I have to work on my serves, but there were other aspects, as well.

Q. You’re a champion. You have won Roland Garros. You are a Grand Slam champion. Would you say it’s okay? You’re satisfied? It’s done?
MUGURUZA: No. Well, of course I’m very happy, but I’d like to have more. My dream is to continue and win more tournaments, similar tournaments, and to dominate. When I am on the court I want to dictate my game and bring more of these cups back home.

Q. You said that this was an important moment or tournament for Spain and Venezuela.
MUGURUZA: Yes, of course. I think I have equal support from Venezuela as well as Spain. I talked more about Spain because clay is more of a Spanish tradition. Everybody knows that. All children start playing on clay.

I think that it was a major win and a great victory, as well, for Venezuela. I think that sports in general and tennis should be practiced more and more in Venezuela. I would like to have more children playing tennis.

Q. You were talking in English about new faces or perhaps new blood. On the Grand Slams you were talking about Kerber, and you mentioned others, as well, like Flavia.
MUGURUZA: Yeah, for a long period of time we had the same players, like Serena. They were always in all of the Grand Slams. And I think it’s incredible to see new faces and that the players know now that it’s possible to win, to defeat Serena. It’s like breathing new or fresh air.

Q. Patrick Mouratoglou was saying that the match was in the hands of Serena, and I think he was wrong. You’ve shown that it’s the contrary.
MUGURUZA: Yeah, that’s true. I heard this comment before. That’s true.

Well, that’s his job. You know, he’s Serena’s coach. But I don’t pay attention to this. I don’t agree with that. My tennis was dominating today, and we’ve seen the evidence of this.

Q. Your name will now be on the cup. What’s the name close to which you’d like your name to appear today? Which is the other name you’d like to be close to? Is it Conchita? Is it Serena?
MUGURUZA: Well, almost all of them. Being close to Serena’s name, of course, because she’s won so many Grand Slams. She’s part of history. There is Steffi Graf, as well. How many wins she’s had here in Grand Slams.

Almost all of the names I can see on the cup today. All of the names. All of them. It’s so great to have mine here, as well.

Q. I’d like to say a few words about women’s tennis and women’s sports, in general. After Roland Garros I suppose you’re going to play on grass at the Mallorca Open. I think it’s important for women now, women tennis players, to have a champion.
MUGURUZA: Yeah, I’m very happy to go and play on grass in Spain. It’s going to be a bit special. But I think it’s fantastic if I can play, as well, on grass in Spain. People will come to see us play. I don’t have much time left, but I’ll be going to Spain after this win.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.