Garbine Muguruza: Serena Williams ‘Knows I Can Win Against Her’

“I’m so excited”.

The 21-year-old Muguruza lost six games in a row in one stretch but regrouped to defeat Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Thursday, becoming the first Spanish woman to advance to the Wimbledon final since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.

So commanding was Williams’s performance that not a single strand of her cascading black hair, spilling out of a high ponytail, looked out of place as the top seed twirled around in triumph following the brisk 6-2 6-4 workout.

If she couldnt serve well, and couldnt stay with Williams once the ball was in play, Sharapova was in trouble.

In the Wimbledon finals this weekend, two of the older players on tour have a shot at winning titles.

As big a deal as this win was – “a present after the hard work,” Muguruza called it – she wants the title, of course.

Superstitious: Muguruza BANNED her parents from the semi-final so as not to “change anything”.

“Everything always depends on her – it’s Serena“, said Muguruza, who has defeated top-10 players Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber, along with 2015 French Open semifinalist Timea Bacsinszky and 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska on her road to the final.

Muguruza, who has only one tour title to her name, then took vic tory with a power-packed flowing forehand, her 39th victor of the contest.

She said: “I don’t want the pressure of that”.

But the topic – as well as the chance to also be the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to secure a calendar-year sweep of tennis’ four majors – has been off limits since before the championships. She’s just telling me every day, every match, “Keep going, you’re doing great”. “I act on it”.

Sharapova still hadn’t shaken off the nerves on her serve and Serena made her pay in the fifth game, reading the Russian’s deliveries perfectly and punishing them with ground-strokes too deep and powerful to stop.

“She knows that I can win against her, that I’m not afraid”.

While coy about her achievements, Serena admits her success is fuelled by a fiercely competitive streak that refuses to dim even at an age when many of her ex- rivals have long since retired.

“It’s really important because it makes you see and realise that she’s also a person”, Muguruza said yesterday.

Williams – chasing her second career “Serena Slam” – has shown signs of weakness, dropping sets against Heather Watson and Victoria Azarenka, and Muguruza hopes to make the most of any opportunities that come her way.

After her dominating win over Maria Sharapova on Thursday, Williams is back in the Wimbledon final for the eighth time in her storied career.

“Maria played well and when she stepped up, I managed to step up”.

“They’re going to be in Barcelona watching me on the TV”, she explained.

Muguruza knows that adopting a positive attitude is essential to help her pull off a feat most people think is beyond the Spaniard.

“We had a tough match the last time we played”.

Muguruza, now 21, took some time Friday to reveal some things about her personal life, saying she likes to cook, listen to her music on shuffle and watch movies at home while spending off-time with her family.