Updated at 17.30
THE FAIRYTALE STORY of Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon will have one last chapter after she booked a maiden grand slam final place at the expense of Agnieszka Radwanska today.
After reaching the quarter-finals at the French Open, the young Spaniard continued her impressive rise in the women’s game on Thursday with a 6-2 3-6 6-3 win over the 2012 beaten finalist.
She will take on top seed Serena William in Saturday’s final as the American claimed a 6-2 6-4 victory over Maria Sharapova.
Muguruza’s strength enabled her to dominate early against her experienced opponent, and although she lost six games in a row as Radwanska levelled the match, the world number 20 prevailed to become the first Spaniard in the Wimbledon final since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.
The 21-year-old’s power was evident from the outset on Centre Court as Radwanska struggled to return her strong groundstrokes, the Spaniard pouncing on her opponent’s weaker second serve.
Muguruza took the opening game with a strong forehand and, after consolidating the break with an accomplished service game, again made inroads on her opponent’s serve.
Radwanska saved the next break point to get herself off the mark, but two games later she was again on the defensive, Muguruza’s forehand continuing to hammer down unreturnable shots.
A crisp double-handed backhand cross court set her on the way to a second break of the set, and although she wasted two set points, she found herself ahead after 34 minutes.
The youngster’s impressive play continued in the second with another break of the Radwanska serve, her clinical shot selection not giving the 13th seed a chance to settle as she pinned her to the baseline with long groundstrokes.
However, as a place in the final began to draw nearer, nerves began to affect the 20th seed, her first lost service game allowing Radwanska back into the match.
It gave the Pole the impetus she needed as she rattled off five successive games to level the semi-final, the previously dominant Muguruza struggling to control her unforced errors.
Having survived her wobble, Muguruza’s first-set groundstrokes began to make an appearance in the decider, the Spaniard able to control her power once again.
A break in the sixth game re-opened the door to the final and this time she confidently marched through it a meeting with the world number one on Saturday.
Williams inflicted more misery on her old adversary Maria Sharapova with a ruthless Wimbledon semi-final victory on Centre Court.
World number one Williams has become Sharapova’s nemesis since losing twice to the Russian in 2004 – one of which came in the final on the famous grass court at Wimbledon.
Sharapova was unable to claim a first victory over the all-conquering American in 11 years, failing to rise to the occasion and enduring more troubles on serve as she was beaten 6-2 6-4 to stretch her losing streak against the top seed to 17 matches.
Williams will be a strong favourite to beat surprise package Muguruza when she goes in search of a sixth Wimbledon title.
The legendary 33-year-old will also complete a second ‘Serena Slam’ – holding all four grand slam titles – if she prevails yet again this weekend and would head into the US Open in the hunt for her first calendar Grand Slam.
