2015 Championships at Wimbledon
Ladies’ Singles Championship
#1 Serena Williams (-550) vs #20 Garbine Muguruza (+425)
Odds courtesy of Bookmaker
Centre Court
Wimbledon, England, United Kingdom
Playing Surface: Grass
Saturday, July 11, 2015, 9:00 am Eastern, TV: ESPN
For the second time in her incredible career, Serena Williams can hold all four major titles at the same time with a win Saturday in the Ladies’ Final at Wimbledon. She takes on #20 seed Garbine Muguruza. Serena won the U.S. Open last year, and the Australian and French Opens this year. At the French Serena battled a severe flu from the third round on, and couldn’t even get out of bed on off days. It would not be an official grand slam as it did not occur in the same calender year, but a win would allow Williams to try for that goal at the U.S. Open next month.
Serena is 33 years old and 37-3 this season with titles at the Australian Open, Miami, and the French Open. She has 20 major titles and only Steffi Graf (22) and Margaret Court (24) have more in history. She is looking for her sixth Wimbledon title but first since 2012.
Garbine Muguruza is 21 from Spain. She is #20 in the world, and is 27-12 in 2015 with no titles or runner ups. She lost to Serena in three sets in the fourth round of the Australian Open this year and made the quarterfinals at the French for the second straight year. She had never made the semifinals of a major before this week. In fact she only has one career win on tour at a mid-level tune-up at Hobart for the Australian Open last year.
Williams beat Margarita Gasparyan in the first round of Wimbledon, Timea Babos in the second round, Heather Watson in three sets in the third round, her sister Venus the #16 seed in the fourth, #23 Victoria Azarenka in three sets in the quarters, and longtime “rival” #3 seed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals Thursday.
Williams beat Sharapova for the 17th straight time dating back to 2004. Sharapova has only taken three sets off Serena in those 17 matches. Williams had 13 aces and 2 double faults to 2 and 6 for Sharapova. Serena won 86% of her first serve points and 57% on second serves. Sharapova was 69% and 29%. Serena won 5 of 7 net points, and Sharapova won 4/5. Serena converted 3 of 9 break points and Sharapova never saw a break point. Serena had 29 winners and 15 unforced errors. Sharapova had 9 and 13. Give credit to Sharapova for fighting off so many break points or it could have been even more lopsided. Serena dusted her off in about an hour and 20 minutes.
Muguruza beat Varvara Lepchenko in the first round, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the second round in three sets, #10 Angelique Kerber in three sets in the third round, #5 Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round, #15 Timea Bacsinszky in the quarters, and #13 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Against Radwanska, Muguruza had 6 aces and 2 double faults. Radwanska had 1 and 0. Muguruza was 79% on first seres and 32% on second serves. Radwanska was 61% and 36%. Both players were busy at the net with Muguruza converting 17 of 24 net points and Radwanska was 14/19. Muguruza was 5/12 on break points, and Radwanska was 3/6. Muguruza had 39 winners and 23 unforced errors, and Radwanska had 16 and 7.
This is the fourth ever meeting between Williams and Muguruza. Serena beat her at both the 2013 and 2015 Australian Opens. Muguruza upset a clearly uninterested Serena in the second round of the French Open last year 6-2, 6-2. They met in the fourth round at the Australian earlier this year and Serena won 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. This is the first ever meeting on grass between the two.
Normally, this would be the kind of match in which Serena might drop a set strictly out of boredom. She has a frustrating habit of sometimes toying with her opponents before pressing on the gas and steamrolling them. However, with history on the line and add in the fact Muguruza has been doing a little chirping about how Williams knows Muguruza can beat her, I think it adds up to a straight set win. Williams wins 6-3, 6-2 to claim her second Serena Slam.
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