Spain's Garbiñe Muguruza registered a thrilling victory over World No. 1 Serena Williams, lifting the French Open title in Paris on Saturday. The fourth-seeded Muguruza, who has steadily climbed the rankings but has failed to win major tournaments till now, put up a spirited performance against an increasingly frustrated Williams. Muguruza won 7-5, 6-4.
Williams was on the hunt for her 22nd Grand Slam – she is one short of Steffi Graf's record for most major titles. However, despite being in imperious form, Williams has now been thwarted in the last three grand slams.
Muguruza, who collapsed on to the clay after winning the last point, is the first Spanish woman to win at Roland Harris since 1998, when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario beat Monica Seles. During the presentation ceremony, Muguruza pointed out that clay was her preferred surface, and winning in Paris was especially meaningful for her and for Spain. Williams, on her part, thanked the crowd in perfect French.
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