Two's company as magnificent Muguruza finds winning formula

LONDON - It was a tale of two coaches and two sisters for Garbine Muguruza on Saturday as the Spaniard found the formula to steer her way through a barrage of high-intensity tennis and claim her first Wimbledon crown.

The moment of truth came in the 10th game when her opponent Venus Williams, 37 but playing with the energy of a teenager, threatened to cut loose after a captivating half hour of play.

The Venezuela-born 23-year-old faced two set points on her own serve but held her nerve to win them both, before reeling off the next nine games against the seven-times grand slam champion, a player she idolised in her youth.

"I was so excited to go out there and win, especially over somebody like a role model," Muguruza told reporters following the 7-5 6-0 victory that brought her her second major title.

  
With that comes the distinction of becoming the first player to beat both Venus and sister Serena in grand slam finals.

That triumph over the younger Williams came at last year's French Open, which was followed by a dip in form that has transitioned from a gradual to a spectacular reversal over the past fortnight.

"(It) is very hard to find a recipe to feel good fitness-wise, tennis-(wise), mentally. I think in this tournament I put everything together, which is very hard," Muguruza said.

One obvious new factor at the All England Club has been the addition to her entourage of Conchita Martinez in the absence of regular coach Sam Sumyk, whose wife is expecting a baby.

The new champion met Martinez - who beat a 37-year-old Martina Navratilova in 1994 to become Spain's only previous Wimbledon women's singles winner - as she paraded with her trophy through the corridors beneath Centre Court.

The pair embraced like family before being joined for a patriotic photo-op by Madrid-born four-times men's slam champion Manuel Santana, who lifted the Wimbledon crown in 1966.

"Obviously, I like Conchita to be in my team because I have a great relation with her," Muguruza said.

"We were very excited ... - the coincidence of her (beating) Navratilova, me (beating) Venus.. was, like, awesome."

Did that mean winning the title without Sumyk had given Muguruza extra confidence?

"No, definitely not... I was talking with him every day... We've done a very good job before.. I guess (him and Martinez) is a combination."

And the underlying message for her regular coach was laced with humour.

Asked at courtside if she had anything to say to him, she held the trophy aloft and said: "Here it is."

(Reporting by John Stonestreet, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fatherhood breathes new life into Murray's career

LONDON - Rather than being distracted by the sleepless nights or the regular nappy changing duties that have fallen his way, the arrival of baby daughter Sophia in February has breathed new life into Andy Murray's career.

Whereas top players used to once put off having families till their careers were in decline or over so that they did not lose focus, on Sunday, Murray joined the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic by becoming the latest father to win a grand slam title when he beat Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2) to capture a second Wimbledon title.

"Having a child has given me a little bit of extra motivation to work hard, train hard, and do all of the right things to give myself a chance to win these events," the 29-year-old Scot said after ending a three-year barren run at the slams.

"A lot of people have said, like, when Roger had kids, he started playing some of his best tennis. Novak, the same thing. But the reality is you still have to put the work in. You still have to have the drive and the dedication to train hard.

"I feel more motivated than ever just now."

Following the birth of his son Stefan in October 2014, Djokovic turned into an indestructible force, winning five of the next seven grand slam events.

That winning mentality also seems to have rubbed off on Murray as he has now contested the final of his last five tournaments, winning in Rome and Queen's Club before landing the one that really counted at the All England Club.

"The last three months have been some of the best I've played in terms of consistency," said Murray, who celebrated Sunday's triumph by hugging the pineapple-topped Challenge Cup while taking a dip in an ice bath in the players' locker room.

"I made the finals of the last five tournaments, here, Queen's, French (Open), Madrid and Rome. I don't think I'd done that before in my career.

"I had my best claycourt season. I was fairly close there," added Murray, whose hopes of becoming the first British man to win the Roland Garros title since Fred Perry in 1935 were thwarted by Djokovic.

"The last few months have been some of the best in my career, for sure."

NO FEAR OF FAILURE

The reason he is able to put himself into these situations is because he no longer fears failure.

Whereas in 2010 and 2011 his form and results went into freefall after he lost the Australian Open finals to Roger Federer and Djokovic respectively, he now knows how to compartmentalise these disappointments so that he is able to switch focus to the next target more quickly.

"I don't mind failing. Failing's okay, providing that you've given your best and put everything into it," said Murray, who was also beaten by Djokovic in January's Australian Open final.

"Failing's not terrible. I put myself in a position all of the time in these events to win them. I've lost a lot of close ones against great players most of the time.

"I'm not afraid of failing. I'm learning from all of my losses."

Playing in an era when Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal have captured 43 grand slam titles between them, three-times major winner Murray knows that he has his work cut out if he wants to add to his haul.

Before Sunday, every one of Murray's previous 10 slam finals had been against Federer or Djokovic.

While this fortnight's Wimbledon offered him a rare reprieve as Nadal was out injured, Djokovic was knocked out in the third round and Federer fell by the wayside in the semis, Murray knows that such occurrences are not likely to occur too often.

"If I want to add to three slams, I'm going to have to find ways to win against them," said Murray.

"It's very rare that you get through a slam without playing Novak, Roger or Rafa. But I still feel like my best tennis is ahead of me, that I have an opportunity to win more."

(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Rex Gowar)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

I was helpless, admits Kerber

LONDON -- Defeated Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber admitted she was helpless to prevent the Serena Williams onslaught which powered the American to a seventh Wimbledon and record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title.

The fourth seed, bidding to become the first German to win the Wimbledon crown since Steffi Graf in 1996, slipped to a battling 7-5, 6-3 loss in one of the better All England Club finals in recent years.

Kerber carved out just one break point in the 81-minute final in the seventh game of the second set.

But in a flash, it was gone as the 34-year-old American fired a 117 mph ace and then another at 124 mph to restore order.

"This is how Serena is playing. I had one break point, and I couldn't do nothing," said Kerber, who had defeated Williams for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

"I was trying to be tough, to stay in the match, trying to fight until the last point.

"But Serena was the one who won the match. I played my best, did what I could. At the end, she deserved it."

Williams finished on 39 winners and 13 aces which absorbed the 21 unforced errors she had committed.

She ended the tournament with 74 aces, more than twice as many as second-placed Elena Vesnina who managed a comparatively meagre 31.

Kerber hit just 12 winners on Saturday and was unable to fire one ace past her opponent.

"I think I played what I could today. Serena was serving unbelievable. I tried everything," said the 28-year-old, who had not lost a set at the tournament before Saturday.

She had also knocked out five-time champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals.

"She really played an unbelievable match. I think we both played on a really high level.

"I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match."

Kerber will move to number two in the world in the rankings next week behind Williams.

The American has been top of the pile since February 2013.

But Kerber acknowledges that she still feels a long way behind the great American in terms of achievement.

After all, Williams now has 71 career titles; Kerber has nine and has the best part of $70 million less in the bank.

"It's tough to follow in her footsteps. Let's see one day. But I think it's still a long way," she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena hails Djokovic 'extreme history'

LONDON -- Serena Williams hailed Novak Djokovic for making "extreme history" despite her fellow number one having suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in seven years.

Two-time defending champion Djokovic suffered a shock defeat to the unheralded Sam Querrey of the United States in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday.

It ended his hopes of going on to secure the first calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969.

But Williams, the women's world number one and chasing an Open era record 22nd Grand Slam title, saluted Djokovic, who had won the last four Slams in a row.

"He and I have both made extreme history. He's won four in a row. I won four in a row last year. I think that's historic in itself," said Williams, who is chasing a seventh Wimbledon title this year.

"I am in those situations. Every time I step out on the court, if I don't win, it's major national news. But if I do win, it's just like a small tag in the corner." 

- Laver questions Djokovic motivation -

CAPTION - Serbia's Novak Djokovic walks off court after losing his match against USA's Sam Querrey. Photo by Stefan Wermuth, Reuters



Meanwhile, Laver admitted he was saddened by Djokovic's failure to break his 47-year long Grand Slam record.

"I'm still happy to have the title, but I don't own it," Australian legend Laver told ESPN television.

"I would have liked to have been at the US Open and be the first to shake Djokovic's hand if he did it. Don Budge did that for me in 1962 at Forest Hills."

US player Budge won the first calendar Grand Slam in 1938 before Laver achieved the feat twice, in 1962 and 1969.

Budge's message to Laver was: "Welcome to an exclusive club."

Djokovic had already captured the Australian and French Open titles in 2016 and was heavily favoured to defend his Wimbledon crown.

That would have left just the defence of his US Open trophy standing in the way of him and a place in the record books.

Laver, 77, believes Djokovic may have been lacking motivation after finally winning a first French Open last month which gave him ownership of all four Slams at the same time.

"He just wasn't himself. Something was off," said Laver.

"Maybe he felt winning all four titles and being the defending champion of all four was a Grand Slam in his mind.

"And so even if it wasn't in the calendar year, it didn't matter. Way back in there somewhere you are thinking one thing, that it doesn't matter, but you are thinking it does matter.

"Those are two different thoughts to have when you are playing."

 - Djokovic looking for positives -

Djokovic had admitted that he hadn't been "100 percent healthy" in the match with Querrey and was spotted rubbing his left shoulder as the tie slipped away.

But the 29-year-old refused to dwell on failing to grab Laver's record.

"I managed to win four Grand Slams in a row. I want to try to focus on that rather than on failure," the Serb said.

"Coming into Wimbledon, I knew that mentally it's not going to be easy to kind of remotivate myself."

World number two Andy Murray, the 2013 Wimbledon champion, said Sunday that Djokovic's defeat would have little bearing on his preparations.

As the top two seeds, they were scheduled to meet in the final and not before.

"The players left in my section of the draw are still formidable," Murray told the BBC.

"You've got Nick Kyrgios (who he plays in the last 16), who's beaten Rafa on Centre Court; Tsonga is one of the best grass-court players in the world; Richard Gasquet's still in there and he made the semis last year."

 "There are some pretty decent players left in my way, so I'm not getting carried away."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com