Tennis-Wimbledon champion Serena Williams Tennis-Wimbledon champion Serena Williams Tweet Share LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - Factbox on American Serena Williams , who won her 21st grand slam and sixth Wimbledon singles title with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Spain's Garbine Muguruza on Saturday: Born in Michigan on September 26, 1981. (Age: 33) Seed: 1 GRAND SLAM CAREER: 21 wins - Australian Open (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015); French Open (2002, 2013, 2015); Wimbledon (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015); U.S. Open (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014) Williams is third on the list of female grand slam title winners.

Is one of only five women, after Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, to hold all four grand slam titles at same time. She also owns 13 women's grand slam doubles titles with Venus and has won four Olympic gold medals: Singles (2012), doubles (2000, 2008, 2012). MAKING HER NAME Learned to play the game with older sister Venus in Compton. Both were coached by their father Richard. Turned professional in September 1995. Won her first WTA Tour title in Paris in 1999, beating Amelie Mauresmo in the final. Beat Martina Hingis in the U.S. Open final in 1999, becoming the first African American woman to win a grand slam singles title since Althea Gibson in 1958. TENNIS CAREER Failed to make another grand slam final until 2001 when she lost in the U.S. Open final to older sister Venus.

Missed the 2002 Australian Open with injury then embarked on an incredible run that included winning five of the next six grand slams and losing in the semi-finals of the 2003 French open. Career affected by injury over the next four years, winning two Australian Open titles in 2005 and 2007 but failing to advance beyond the quarter-finals at the other three. Won U.S. Open in 2008 to break the grand slam drought, having not won a major title since the 2007 Australian open. At the 2009 U.S. Open, Williams was fined $175,000 and placed on a two-year probation for unsportsmanlike behaviour in her semi-final loss to Kim Clijsters. Joined Billie-Jean King on all-time grand slam list in sixth with 12th grand slam title at 2010 Australian Open. She missed the U.S. Open in 2010 because of medical complications after cutting her foot on glass while celebrating her win at Wimbledon. In 2011, she underwent surgery after a life-threatening blood clot was detected on her lung. She made the U.S.

Open final but lost to Australia's Sam Stosur. Won Wimbledon title in 2012 and followed that up with Olympic gold medal on the same grass courts beating top seed Victoria Azarenka in semi-finals and third seed Maria Sharapova in final. Won fourth U.S. Open title in 2012, beating Azarenka in the final. Crashed out to teenage compatriot Sloane Stephens in Australian Open quarter-final in 2013 but rebounded to claim her second Roland Garros title, one of 10 titles she wins that year to reclaim world top ranking. Knocked out early in 2014 Australian Open, but claims seven titles, including her sixth U.S. Open, which is her third in succession, to join compatriots Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 grand slam wins. Defeats Maria Sharapova in the 2015 Australian Open final to claim her 19th grand slam title. Despite battling a bout of flu, she wins a third successive major title and 20th overall by overcoming Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova in the French Open final.

Claims so-called 'Serena Slam' by winning sixth Wimbledon crown to hold all four majors for the second time in her career. (Editing by Toby Davis) Reblog USATODAY.com - Sharapova topples Williams to win Wimbledon crown Looking to sell tickets quick? Register now. Sharapova topples Williams to win Wimbledon crown By Stephen Wilson, The Associated Press WIMBLEDON, England  Completing an improbable journey from the far reaches of Siberia to the pinnacle of the sport, 17-year-old Maria Sharapova beat two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 Saturday to win Wimbledon for her first Grand Slam title. Maria Sharapova never wilted in the women's final against Serena Williams, winning in straight sets for her first Grand Slam title. By Anja Niedringhaus, AP She's the first Russian to win a Wimbledon singles title, the third-youngest women's champion in history and, at No. 13, the lowest seeded women's winner since Wimbledon began seeding players in 1927. "I never, never in my life expected this to happen so fast," Sharapova said. "It's always been my dream to come here and to win.

It was never in my mind I would do it this year." After Williams hit a forehand into the net to end the 73-minute match, Sharapova dropped to her knees at the baseline and covered her face with her hands. She raised her arms and walked to the net. Williams walked around the net and the two players embraced. Sharapova pumped her fists, whacked a ball into the stands and climbed into the guest box to hug her father, Yuri. She pulled out a cell phone and tried to call her mother but couldn't get through immediately. "I turned it on and it keeps turning off — come on, technology," she said with a giggle. Sharapova accepted the winner's trophy — the Venus Rosewater dish — from the Duke of Kent. "I want to cut up this trophy and give it to everybody, this whole crowd," she said. Turning to Williams, Sharapova said, "I have to take this trophy from you for one year. I'm sorry. ... I'm sure we're going to be here one more time and hopefully many more times in other Grand Slams and fight for the trophy." "It wasn't my day," a gracious Williams told the Centre Court crowd.

"Maria played a really good match. Congratulations on your first Grand Slam." Sharapova, playing in her first Grand Slam final, put on a virtuoso performance against the six-time Grand Slam winner. She showed no signs of nerves and kept Williams on the defensive, hitting 17 winners and only 11 errors. It was the most lopsided women's final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles 6-1, 6-2 in 1992. "I don't know how I won," Sharapova said. "I don't know what the tactics were. I was in my own little world — I don't know what that world was really." And she did it after coming down with a bad sore throat Friday night. "I was in tears because I didn't think I'd be ready to play a Wimbledon final and win," she said. Sharapova is the youngest woman to capture Wimbledon since Martina Hingis, who was 16 when she won in 1997. The youngest champion was Lottie Dod, who was 15 when she won the 1887 title.

Sharapova halted Williams' bid to become only the third woman in 35 years to win three consecutive titles. She also ended the Williams family's four-year hold on the trophy. Venus Williams won in 2000 and 2001, while Serena beat her older sister in the final the next two years. "I don't know what happened," Williams said. "I didn't play great and I didn't win." Sharapova showed right from the outset that she wasn't intimidated by Williams. She moved her from side to side. She stepped in on short balls and knocked off winners. She mixed searing groundstrokes with topspin lobs. She pumped her fists. "She's kind of like me," Williams said. "She doesn't back off, she keeps giving it her all." From 1-1, Sharapova won five straight games to win the opening set in 30 minutes. Williams went up a break at 4-2 in the second, but Sharapova broke right back and won the last four games. Sharapova was born in Siberia and moved at a young age to the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

When she was 5, she was spotted by Martina Navratilova at a clinic in Moscow. She moved to Florida at 7 and joined Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy at 9. The 6-foot blonde has a modeling contract, drawing comparisons to Anna Kournikova. But, unlike Kournikova, she can win tournaments. Sharapova had three tour titles coming into Wimbledon. Robert Landsdorp, who has coached Sharapova in California, said he never expected her to win Wimbledon so soon. "I don't remember when I saw somebody so young come in and play like that in their first final," he said. Boris Becker, who won Wimbledon in 1985 at 17, said Sharapova's victory was the result of "nerves of steel or the innocence of youth." "She played fearlessly," he said. Sharapova collected a winner's check of $1,020,110, while Williams received $510,055. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wimbledon Champions: Women's top 25 - Telegraph Wimbledon Champions: Women's top 25 9:41AM BST 28 Jun 2008 Former champion Bjorn Borg reveals his top 25 women while Mark Hodgkinson and Kaz Mochlinski profile the players. Louise Brough 1948-1950, 1955 No player has ever dominated Wimbledon more completely than did Brough in the three Championships between 1948 and 1950. Not only did she collect three of her four singles titles in that time, but she reached the final of every event, winning eight out of nine. The only final she lost was the mixed doubles in the middle year, when she played 117 games in three finals that involved five hours 20 minutes' playing time on Centre Court on the final Saturday of the tournament. Her hard volleying was ideally suited to the Wimbledon grass courts, which she again demonstrated in adding a last singles victory in 1955. It was her 13th title in total at the All England Club and she did not drop a set in winning it.

With Margaret du Pont, she also collected a remarkable 12 women's doubles successes in the US Championships. Maria Bueno 1959-1960, 1964 The lithe and elegant Brazilian brought sex appeal to the Wimbledon lawns, improving the SW19 libido. All the men in the Centre Court crowd fell in love with Bueno after she won her first Wimbledon title in 1959, after which she was given a prize of a clothes voucher and then flown back in a presidential jet to a ticker-tape parade in Sao Paolo. In future years she titillated Wimbledon by wearing a white dress with a pink lining, and also won two more titles, in 1960 and 1964. Maureen Connolly 1952-1954 Her first love was horse riding, but Maureen Connolly's mother could not afford the lessons and she turned to tennis. 'Little Mo' snaffled a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles, from 1952-54, and was a popular figure back home in the United States. But that did not stop her from speaking of "the dark destiny" of her tennis career.

"I always believed greatness on a tennis court was my destiny, a dark destiny at times, where the court became my secret jungle and I, a lonely, fear-stricken hunter. I was a strange little girl armed with hate, fear and a golden racket," Connolly once said. Margaret Court 1963, 1965, 1970 'Big Marge' dominated the tour in the 1960s and 1970s, winning her first two Wimbledon titles, as Margaret Smith, in 1963 and 1965. She quit the circuit in 1966 to marry and start a family, but returned to the game as Margaret Court, and in 1970 won all four majors to achieve the grand slam. On the Wimbledon leg of that feat, Court and the American Billie Jean King contested what was one of the greatest finals in the tournament's history, with the Australian eventually closing out a 14-12, 11-9 victory.

In addition to her three Wimbledon trophies, Court won a further 21 grand slam singles titles, taking her singles tally to 24, and many consider her to be the greatest female player to have ever stepped on Centre Court. Lindsay Davenport 1999 American Lindsay Davenport may have won Wimbledon as well as the US and Australian Opens , plus an Olympic gold medal, in an illustrious career. But her greatest achievement is perhaps showing that it is still possible to succeed in modern tennis as a mother. After giving birth to a baby son 12 months ago, she returned to win two of her three tournaments before the end of the year and has continued to notch up further victories in 2008. She made her breakthrough by winning the women's singles at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, but she secured full recognition as one of the best players of her generation only when she clinched the Wimbledon title in 1999. In an emotional final Davenport overcame Steffi Graf, who was playing her last major match. To underline her dominance that year, the American added the women's doubles with her compatriot, Corina Morariu, too.

Chris Evert 1974, 1976, 1981 Known as the 'Ice Maiden' for having icicles in her veins on court, the American won her first Wimbledon title in 1974. That same year, her fiancé, Jimmy Connors, won the men's crown and the two of them danced together at the Champions' Ball. Their romance became known as the 'Love Match'. But they broke off the engagement later that year so there was no fairytale ending. However, she did go on to win two more Venus Rosewater Dishes, with triumphs in 1976 and 1981, and also married and then divorced John Lloyd, the British tennis player. Borg on Evert Chris could play on every surface, but she was particularly comfortable on the Wimbledon grass. She knew exactly which shot to play. Everyone called me 'Ice Borg' or the 'Ice Man', but she was the 'Ice Maiden' of the women's game.

She was a great champion Althea Gibson 1957-1958 The African-American Althea Gibson is one of the most important figures in Wimbledon's history as she was the first black player, male or female, to win a title on the grass of SW19. Born in North Carolina and raised in Harlem, she had it tough during her tennis education as she was barred from whites-only clubs and competitions. However, Gibson persevered with her tennis and secured her first Wimbledon title in 1957 and then backed it up by winning again the next year. She lived in poverty for much of her old age before dying in 2003. Venus and Serena Williams know that they owe much to Gibson. Evonne Goolagong 1971, 1980 She was the daughter of a sheep shearer and the family lived in a tin shack in New South Wales. Yet that didn't stop Evonne Goolagong, an Australian of Aboriginal descent, following her dream of playing tennis. Her early career was funded by the Aboriginal community.

"The town only had a population of 700, but they used to provide everything for me, including clothes, shoes and rackets," said Goolagong. She won her first Wimbledon title in 1971, beating Margaret Court, and a second in 1980, beating Chris Evert. Steffi Graf 1988-1989, 1991-1993, 1995-1996 Steffi Graf was to win a total of seven Wimbledon singles titles up to 1996, but none would surpass her first. In 1988 she dethroned Martina Navratilova at the All England Club on the way to collecting all four major championships in a calendar year. And she then added a victory at the Seoul Olympics to produce a unique Golden grand slam. An added bonus that year was her success in the Wimbledon doubles with Gabriela Sabatini, of Argentina, for her only major title in that version of the game. In 1989 the then German supremacy in tennis was underlined with Wimbledon wins for both Graf and Boris Becker.

Graf went on to collect a remarkable 22 grand slam singles crowns before marrying Andre Agassi in a rare match-up of Wimbledon champions. Borg on Graf It's difficult to compare one generation to another, but there is no question that Steffi was one of the greats. She worked extremely hard on her tennis, she had that brilliant forehand, and I remember watching a lot of her matches at Wimbledon. I can't think of one weakness in Steffi's game Blanche Bingley Hillyard 1886, 1889, 1894, 1897, 1899-1900 First as Blanche Bingley and then as Mrs Hillyard, she became the first multiple champion of women's tennis. Her severe looks concealed a friendly and sporting nature, but she was nevertheless a ferocious competitor and claimed six Wimbledon titles from 1886 to 1900. Usually photographed wearing a tie as part of her formal tennis kit, she became well known at the time as an indefatigable player.

Martina Hingis 1997 The 'Little Swiss Miss' was just 16??years old when she beat Jana Novotna in the 1997 Wimbledon final and so became the youngest champion of the professional era. Martina Hingis displayed an excellent tennis brain; she played with an exceptionally high IQ, Mensa stuff off the strings. But 10 years on she tested positive for cocaine after a third-round defeat and was banned from the game. In the space of a decade Hingis had gone from a sweet-16 prodigy to a scandal-hit veteran. Ann Jones 1969 The delight that greeted Ann Jones's triumph in 1969 was not just down to it being a home victory. As well as the Birmingham player's popularity, her success was all the sweeter for being unexpected. She was past her 30th birthday and competing at her 14th??Wimbledon. Having got through to the semi-finals, she put out the top seed, Margaret Court, before beating defending champion, Billie Jean King, in the final.

Billie Jean King 1966-1968, 1972-1973, 1975 It was not just her record 20?Wimbledon titles, six of them in the singles between 1966 and 1975, that King will be remembered for. She was the foremost pioneer of women's professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s, bringing a new athleticism to the female game and campaigning for fair rewards in return. To which end she played in the infamous 'Battle of the Sexes' in Houston, Texas, in 1973, when, as the reigning Wimbledon champion, she lost in three straight sets to Bobby Riggs, the 1939 men's victor at the All England Club. Having won the doubles on her first visit to SW19 as a teenager in 1961, she was nearly 36 years old at the time of her last success at the Championships in 1979 – partnering Martina Navratilova, who would later equal King's number of Wimbledon crowns.

A less-heralded achievement was becoming the first woman to win at Wimbledon wearing glasses. Borg on King All the players in the current generation should thank Billie Jean, as she is the one who has done the most to put women's tennis where it is now. If it wasn't for her, the women might not have equal prize money at Wimbledon these days. She has done some great work off the court, but she was also a great player on the court, let's not forget about that. She is one of the most important figures in the history of women's tennis, if not the most important Suzanne Lenglen 1919-1923, 1925 She was French and she was fabulous. One of the first racket-twirling divas, Suzanne Lenglen used to sip brandy during the change of ends. And – shock horror – Lenglen showed her ankles to the world, sported a short hairstyle and refused to wear a corset at Wimbledon. Polite society didn't know what had hit it when Lenglen won the Wimbledon title in 1925.

The French press nicknamed her 'La Divine' (the divine one) and she did much to get the starch out of the clothes and out of tennis as whole. She won six Wimbledon titles, with an uninterrupted stretch of five crowns from 1919-23, and the last in 1925. Alice Marble 1939 The American Alice Marble was raped by a stranger when she was 15, but she overcame the trauma of that violent attack to become a professional tennis player. Marble won her Wimbledon title in 1939, just months before the outbreak of the Second World War. She married a pilot and miscarried her husband's child after a car accident during the war and a few days later he was killed in action. She attempted suicide, but then recovered and agreed to work as a spy for American intelligence, going on a difficult mission that involved contacting a former lover, a Swiss banker. Marble was shot in the back by a Nazi agent, but rescued by American intelligence. She died in 1990 at the age of 77.

Amelie Mauresmo 2006 Before Wimbledon in 2006 Amelie Mauresmo's talent had never been in doubt, just her mental fortitude. There was a time when the Frenchwoman was known as the choker-in-chief of women's tennis, when it seemed that an hour on the psychologist's couch would have been as useful as an hour on the practice court. However, she overcame the doubt and the doubters to beat Belgium's Justine Henin and win her Wimbledon title. "I don't want people to talk about my nerves any more," she said triumphantly; winning Wimbledon had sealed her career. Helen Wills Moody 1927-1930, 1932-1933, 1935, 1938 The American Helen Wills Moody was an introverted, shy woman to the point of being socially awkward, and on court she would show little emotion and ignore her opponent and the crowd. However, that shyness was often wrongly and unfairly seen as her being aloof and arrogant and she became known as 'Little Miss Poker Face', 'Queen Helen' and 'The Imperial Helen'.

See, even back then, between the World Wars, the public wanted to see their stars emoting. Yet 'Little Miss Poker Face' went on to win eight Wimbledon titles, landing four in a row from 1927-30 and then the rest in 1932, 1933, 1935 and 1938. A serious woman and a serious champion. Angela Mortimer 1961 The Henmania of later years was hardly a match for the patriotic fervour that surrounded Angela Mortimer's sole Wimbledon victory in 1961. There had been a wait of 24?years since Dorothy Round had provided the last triumph by a player from the host nation, but a new home-produced champion was guaranteed by the first all-British final since 1914, with Mortimer getting through to face Christine Truman. While Truman famously practised on shale courts in a local park, Mortimer was prepared by Arthur Roberts, the coach at the Palace Hotel in Torquay, which was renowned for its two covered courts.

It produced a tennis player with a style that was a joy to watch, which proved enough to add a Wimbledon title to Mortimer's earlier successes in the French and Australian grand slam events. Martina Navratilova 1978-1979, 1982-1987, 1990 There can be no disputing Martina Navratilova's supremacy at the All England Club. The joint-record holder with Billie Jean King of a total of 20 Wimbledon titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, she is unmatched in singles with nine victories. Having won the singles title in 1978 and 1979 and then another six victories in a row up to 1987 – when she defeated Germany's Steffi Graf to equal the American Helen Wills Moody's record of eight singles titles – she finally went past the record in 1990, in what was to be her final Wimbledon singles title, when she was almost 34 ??years old.

Her longevity in doubles was even greater, spanning 17 years to 2003, when her victory in the mixed doubles made her, at 46 years 261 days, the oldest Wimbledon champion. It was possible only because she took physical fitness in tennis to new levels. And yet it could have been very different after her defection from Czechoslovakia to the US during the Cold War, as she initially showed such a passion for American junk food that she put on weight alarmingly. Turning that around proved to be the making of her. Borg on Navratilova I really admire Martina for the way she went on playing at the top for so long. Tennis was really in her heart and she kept on setting herself new goals. Her results speak for themselves. She had a game that was almost perfect for grass-court tennis. She was an aggressive player and liked to come into the net, and that is what you needed to do, to do well on Centre Court. Martina did a lot for women's tennis Jana Novotna 1998 The Czech player, Jana Novotna, was a popular loser, but also a popular winner.

In 1993, after she was defeated in the final by Germany's Steffi Graf, Novotna famously sobbed on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent, and was then denied for a second time in 1997 when losing to Martina Hingis, of Switzerland. On this second occasion there were no tears staining the royal jacket, but the duchess was moved to remark to the runner-up: "The third time will be third time lucky." A year later Novotna beat Nathalie Tauziat, of France, and the Venus Rosewater Dish was hers. But there was another quiet word from the Duchess. "I was right," the Duchess told her. Maria Sharapova 2004 One sunny afternoon in the summer of 2004, the 17-year-old Siberian became an international superstar when beating Serena Williams in the final. With her photogenic looks, this was a victory made in marketing men's heaven and she has gone on to become the world's highest-earning sportswoman. Don't think that Maria Sharapova doesn't have a sense of her own worth. She is a businesswoman as well as an athlete.

Borg on Sharapova It doesn't hurt to look good, and Maria looks good, but what she really cares about is winning titles. Every time she goes on the court, she gives absolutely everything. She loves to win and hates to lose. She won Wimbledon at such a young age, at 17, but she has a game that is well suited to grass. She's a great athlete, her game is well-suited to playing on grass, and you can tell that she enjoys being on Centre Court Virginia Wade 1977 It's the cardigan that most people remember, Virginia Wade having walked on to Centre Court for the 1977 final wearing a natty pink one with a monogrammed 'VW' on the front. She peeled the pink cardy off and then went out and beat Holland's Betty Stove. It was quite a way to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, with the monarch in attendance that day in the Royal Box. Afterwards the crowd sang "For she's a jolly fellow", and it wasn't directed at Her Majesty, but at Wade. No British woman has won Wimbledon since and Wade is as frustrated as anyone by that.

British winners are as retro as Wade's attire that day. Maud Watson 1884-1885 Maud Watson is inevitably found in tennis books as the first in historical lists. She won Wimbledon on her debut in 1884, owing to it being the inaugural staging of the women's singles at the Championships. In doing so she was the first player to beat her sister, having to overcome her older sibling, Lillian, in the final. Maud was also the first champion, man or woman, to wear headgear, sporting a neat straw hat, something which was by no means usual on court at the time. The following year she also went on to become the first to defend the title successfully. It was a shame, then, that a trophy was not provided for the women's event until the year after the last of her two victories. Venus and Serena Williams 2000-2001, 2005, 2007 (Venus) 2002-2003 (Serena) Venus Williams may have a kooky off-court air, but she is the finest grass-court player of her generation.

Going into the 2008 Championships, Williams had already appeared in six Wimbledon finals. She won her first title in 2000, added a second a year later, picked up a third in 2005 and then won her fourth last summer when she was hitting the ball so violently that she made Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli's wrist sting. The only two finals that she lost were to her younger sister, Serena, in 2002 and 2003. Serena may go on court with designer handbags and outrageous earrings, but don't for a minute think that the American is anything other than ferociously competitive. Serena has won two Wimbledon titles, in 2002 and 2003, and on both occasions she had to beat her older sister Venus in the final. The sisters, both coached from an early age by their father, Richard, have won the title six??times between them, but those all-Williams finals have rarely lived up to the hype. Borg on the Williams sisters I've always enjoyed watching the Williams sisters play as they strike the ball so powerfully. That has often been the difference for them.

And maybe they could have won more titles than they have so far, but they have been unlucky. It must have been tricky for them having to play against each other in the Wimbledon final. They are a very close family and they do everything together, so having to play each other in a grand slam final, I can't even imagine how difficult that would be for them. If I had a brother and I had to play him in the final of Wimbledon, I have no idea how I would have behaved towards him before the match, what I would have said to him. You can tell that it's a strange situation for Venus and Serena as the tennis they have produced against each other hasn't been as good as when they have played against someone else Wimbledon Women's Final Highlights: Serena Williams Wins Her Sixth Wimbledon Title – NDTV Sports Read Time: 4-min Serena Williams is the Queen of Wimbledon Again! © AFP Serena Williams is the queen of Wimbledon again! She wins her sixth title, beating 20th seed Garbine Muguruza. Catch highlights from the Wimbledon 2015 women's final here.

20.22: Class and grace from Serena as she turns around during the post-match talk and says : Don't be sad Muguruza. You'll hold this trophy very, very soon - Massive words of encouragement for a 21-year-old who has just found tooth-and-nail but ended up on the losing side. Lot of positives to take away for the Spaniard. Serena Williams is the Queen of Wimbledon Again! Â© AFP 20.07: Spare a thought for a fantastic fighter Garbine Muguruza from the other end. She put in every ounce of effort to defy the best in the World. She's in tears! 20.07: SERENA WILLIAMS WINS HER SIXTH WIMBLEDON TITLE! It's her 21st GRAND SLAM WIN! It's the second time she's won the 'Serena Slam' - as she now holds all the four major Grand Slam titles. 20.02: What a fighter Muguruza is! She is pushing Serena to the hilt! Breaks again to go up 5-4. She now saves to go on parity in 2nd set.

19.55: Muguruza fights! Holds her serves! Serena leads 5-3 and will serve for the championship. 19.50: Final flicker in the fading flame? Muguruza breaks a championship-chasing Serena. She has delayed it, but can she defy the inevitable? 19.42: Serena breaks and goes ahead 4-1 in the 2nd set. 19.33: The second set has had a calmer start - both Serena and Muguruza holding their respective serves. It's 1-1. Can Serena Williams wrap up the final in 2 sets? Â© AFP Â 19.28: There comes the second break! Serena Williams takes the first set 6-4 against Muguruza. 19.17: And Serena breaks back! It's hard to keep her away! Muguruza hits one long in a tight game to allow Serena to attain 4-4 parity in the 1st set. 19.09: Fantastic service from Muguruza. The Spaniard is mixing it up superbly well. To make Serena toil hard early is no mean feat. Game on? Certainly!

19.02: Muguruza is in fantastic rhythm here. Serena forces down a few spectacular returns but the Spaniard refuses to let up in her service game. She's up 3-1. 18.58: The Spaniard is giving the US champ a run for her money. Serena huffs and puffs to hold on to her second service game. Muguruza leads 2-1. 18.54: Serena can't break back! Early pressure on the World No. 1. Muguruza goes up 2-0. 18.50: What a start to the final! Garbine Muguruza breaks Serena in the very first game. 18.43: False start for Serena as she serves a double fault straight up. 18.42: And we're underway at the centre-court. Garbine Muguruza and Serena Williams. Â© AFP Serena Williams is eying her sixth Wimbledon title and 21st major of her career. On paper, she is the overwhelming favourite to win Wimbledon 2015. Completely underestimating Garbine Muguruza however won't be fair.

Catch live updates from the Wimbledon 2015 women's final here. Serena has been unforgiving in almost every match she has played in Wimbledon 2015. Winning in straight sets seems to have become a habit for the American - the only real test coming against Heather Watson in the third round where she dropped a set. (Also read: Serena looks to close in on Steffi Graf's record ) If there was the rare person still daring to doubt her ability, Serena blew it into bits by quashing former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova in straight sets. Momentum is with her. So is form and sheer power. The only thing against her is the head-to-head record against Muguruza. (Also read: Serena eyes revenge against Muguruza ) Williams was plunged into a prolonged bout of soul-searching after an embarrassing 6-2, 6-2 thrashing against Muguruza in the French Open second round last year. That humbling loss forced her to reevaluate her game and the 33-year-old American's response has been blistering. "It was an eye-opening loss for me. Some losses you're angry about, and some losses you learn from.

That loss I think I learned the most from in a long time," Serena said. Quick-facts about the final: - Williams is a win away from her second "Serena Slam" having won the 2002 French Open, 2002 Wimbledon, 2002 US Open and 2003 Australian Open. With the 2014 US Open, 2015 Australian Open and the French Open already under her belt, she's a win away from a second "Serena Slam". - Williams is trying to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era. At 33 years and 289 days she would beat Martina Navratilova, who won Wimbledon in 1990 at the age of 33 and 263 days. - She is also going for her 21st Grand Slam title -- one shy of the Open Era record held by Steffi Graf. - Serena is 20-4 in Grand Slam finals.

Her four defeats were at the 2001 US Open (to Venus Williams), 2004 Wimbledon (to Maria Sharapova), 2008 Wimbledon (to Venus Williams) and 2011 US Open (to Samantha Stosur). Will Muguruza somehow ensure that history can indeed repeat itself? Or will Serena extract revenge and leave her Spanish opponent reeling? The game is on. (With agency inputs) For the latest Sports news like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter and get the NDTV Cricket app for Android or iOS Related Articles FACTBOX-Tennis-Wimbledon champion Serena Williams | Reuters Sat Jul 3, 2010 | 7:05 PM BST FACTBOX-Tennis-Wimbledon champion Serena Williams July 3 Factbox on American Serena Williams, who won her 13th grand slam singles title at Wimbledon on Saturday with a 6-3 6-2 win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva. * Born in Saginaw, Michigan on Sept. 26, 1981. * Turned professional in September 1995. 13 GRAND SLAM SINGLES TITLES * U.S.

Open 1999, 2002, 2008; French Open 2002; Wimbledon 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010; Australian Open 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010. * Williams is sixth on the list of female grand slam title winners. * Is one of only five women, after Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, to hold all four grand slam titles at same time. The non-calendar year achievement in 2002-03 was dubbed the 'Serena Slam'. She beat sister Venus in each of the four finals. * She also owns 12 women's grand slam doubles titles with sister Venus. OTHER CAREER MILESTONES * In 1997 became lowest-ranked player to defeat two top-10 players in one tournament, number seven Mary Pierce and number four Monica Seles, after entering Chicago event as a 304th-ranked wildcard.

* Won 1999 Paris Indoors on same day that Venus triumphed at Oklahoma City. The Williams duo became the first sisters in professional tennis to win singles titles in the same week. * Broke into top-10 for first time in April 1999, ranked ninth. * Lost 2001 U.S. Open final to Venus. Flushing Meadow final was first meeting between sisters in a grand slam title decider since Maud Watson beat Lilian at Wimbledon in 1884. * Took over from Venus as world number one in July 2002 after winning first Wimbledon title. * In 2007 became only the second unseeded female to win the Australian Open in the professional era after Chris O'Neill achieved the feat in 1978. Ranked 81st in the world, she defeated top seed Maria Sharapova in the final. * Set a single-season prize money record on the women's tour with earnings of $6,545,586 in 2009. PERSONAL HEARTACHE AND CONTROVERSIES * Has boycotted high-profile Indian Wells tournament since winning the title in 2001.

Serena had to overcome a hostile crowd to beat Belgium's Kim Clijsters in the final, being jeered by fans who were upset Venus had withdrawn from semi-final against her younger sister two days earlier. Ever since the siblings have had to quell media speculation the move was hatched by their father and coach, Richard. * Her sister Yetunde Price was killed in a shooting incident in Los Angeles in 2003. * Lost controversial quarter-final to fellow American Jennifer Capriati at the 2004 U.S. Open after being upset by a series of line calls which TV replays showed were wrong. Incident sets wheels in motion for instant replay technology to be introduced. FOUL-MOUTHED TIRADE * Williams launched an expletive-laced rant at an official who called her for a foot-fault in 2009 U.S. Open semi-final against eventual champion Kim Clijsters. * Organisers fined her $10,500, the biggest given to a female player since records began in 1990, at the end of the tournament for her unsportsmanlike behaviour.

* On top of fine of $175,000, which includes the smaller fine she received at the time, the Grand Slam Committee says on Nov. 30 that any further major offence at a grand slam in the next two years would see her suspended from the U.S. Open in 2010, 2011 or 2012. (Writing by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Toby Davis; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com) ADVERTISEMENT U.S. Open -- Timeline: Serena Williams' Grand Slam career Timeline: Serena Williams' Grand Slam career By espnW editors | Sep 9, 2011 A look at some key dates in Serena Williams' illustrious Grand Slam tennis career: September 1999: Serena wins the U.S. Open at age 17, becoming the first of the Williams sisters to claim a Grand Slam singles title. September 2001: Venus and Serena square off in the U.S. Open championship, their first meeting in a Grand Slam final.

Venus wins in a match that garners higher television ratings than Notre Dame-Nebraska, the college football game being aired simultaneously. June 2002-January 2003: Williams pulls off the "Serena Slam," claiming four straight Grand Slam titles -- the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open in 2002 and the Australian Open in 2003. Her opponent in all four finals is her older sister, Venus. In July 2002, Serena ascends to No. 1 in the world rankings for the first time in her career. July 2003: Serena beats Venus in the Wimbledon final to claim her sixth career major title in what would be her final tournament of the year. Later that summer she had season-ending knee surgery, and her older half-sister, Yetunde Price, was murdered in September. July 2004: Serena loses to 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon final.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images In July 2010, just four days after winning Wimbledon for her 13th career major title, Serena suffered a foot injury that would lead to career-threatening medical problems and would ultimately keep her off the court for a year. April 2006: Still struggling with a knee injury, Serena falls out of the Top 100 in the rankings. January 2007: Serena enters the Australian Open looking out of shape and ranked No. 81 in the world. Getting visibly fitter round by round, she storms through the draw into the final, where she destroys Sharapova, 6-1, 6-2, in what BBC Sport terms "arguably the most powerful display ever seen in women's tennis." July 2008: Venus defeats Serena in straight sets in the Wimbledon final for her fifth Wimbledon crown. Later in the summer, the sisters add to their Olympic medal collection by winning the gold medal in doubles at the Beijing Games. September 2008: Serena defeats a then-No. 2-ranked Jelena Jankovic in straight sets in the final to win her third career U.S. Open title.

September 2009: In the notorious Saturday night semifinal against Kim Clijsters, Serena unleashes a profane and threatening verbal tirade against a lineswoman who calls her for a foot fault. Serena is docked a point, on match point, and loses the match. She is later fined $82,500 and placed on probation by the Grand Slam committee. January 2010: Serena defeats Justine Henin in three sets in the Australian Open final to claim her 12th Grand Slam singles title, a mark that ties her with Billie Jean King. July 3, 2010: Serena dominates Vera Zvonareva to win her fourth Wimbledon crown and 13th Grand Slam singles title. It would be the last Tour match she would play in nearly a year. July 7, 2010: Serena slices a tendon in her foot by stepping on broken glass as she leaves a Munich restaurant. The injury requires surgeries in July and October 2010.

February 2011: Perhaps as a result of the surgeries and her immobilization, Serena develops a pulmonary embolism (blood clot) that requires her hospitalization in Los Angeles from Feb. 19-20. She is treated with anti-coagulant drugs. Feb. 28, 2011: Serena requires emergency treatment for a hematoma in her stomach that likely developed as a result of her use of blood thinners. June 2011: Serena returns to competitive tennis for the first time in more than 11 months, losing in her second-round match at Eastbourne, a warm-up tournament for Wimbledon. June 21, 2011: Playing her first Grand Slam event in a year, Serena breaks down in tears of joy after winning her first-round Wimbledon match. The victory marked her successful return to tennis after a year of serious health issues. June 27, 2011: Serena bows out in the fourth round of Wimbledon, falling in two tough sets to Marion Bartoli. Williams has not lost a match since.

July 2011-September 8, 2011: Serena wins 17 straight matches, including titles at Stanford and Toronto and a first-round win at Cincinnati. (She withdrew from the tournament after that match and appeared at Kim Kardashian's wedding later that weekend.) She has not dropped a set at the U.S. Open through the completion of the quarterfinals en route to the semifinals where, as the No. 28 seed, she will square off against No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. September 10, 2011: In defeating world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night, Serena records her 18th straight match victory. Williams, who has yet to drop a set at the 2011 U.S. Open, advances to her 17th career Grand Slam singles final. September 11, 2011: Looking sluggish from the outset, Serena drops the first set of the final 6-2 to Samantha Stosur.

In the first game of the second set, serving at 30-40, Serena celebrates an apparent winner with a loud "C'mon" before the point is over. Applying the intentional hindrance rule, chair umpire Eva Asderaki docks Serena the point, giving the break to Stosur. Serena complains bitterly to Asderaki immediately afterward and later during a changeover. Temporarily energized, Serena breaks Stosur back in the second game of the second set, but is outplayed by Stosur, who goes on to win her first major title, 6-2, 6-3. After the match, Serena acknowledges that even without the hindrance call, she would have lost the match to Stosur. It is only Williams' fourth loss in 17 career Grand Slam singles finals. Related Content Who is more likely to win another Grand Slam singles title?

Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to reach Wimbledon final – as it happened | Sport | The Guardian Wimbledon 2015 Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to reach Wimbledon final – as it happened Serena Williams scored a 17th straight victory over her (un)rival, beating Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4, to move within one win of a second Serena Slam Updated Not too many problems for Serena Williams as she wins in straight sets. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Thursday 9 July 2015 12.24 EDT First published on Thursday 9 July 2015 10.08 EDT 12:24 The final against Muguruza could be tasty. The young Spaniard stunned Serena in the French Open second round last year. A grand slam final will, of course, be a different proposition, but don’t be surprised if Muguruza pushes Williams. Much will come down to how the 21-year-old handles the pressure of her first major final.

Perhaps she could ask Sharapova for a few tips, if Sharapova can even remember her 2004 Wimbledon final win as a 17-year-old over Williams. After 17 straight defeats, it must feel like a lifetime ago. Thanks for reading. Bye! 12:13 Serena speaks: When she stepped up my game I was able to step up mine as well. You never want to lose. [Garbine Muguruza] actually beat me before, she made me improve. It’s not going to be an easy match. I think the feeling [of winning] definitely gets better. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the final here [three years]. It’s really cool. She then cuts off a question about that second Serena Slam. At least I made it to the final of four. That’s pretty good. Updated 12:08 Williams beats Sharapova 6-2, 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon final! Williams starts as she means to go on, ace, 15-0. But maybe she’s a bit tight because she double faults with a badly-mistimed second serve. How silly am I? Of course she’s not nervous.

Ace, 30-15. Ace, 40-15. Unreturned serve, game, set and match Williams. Williams jumps around the court, waving to all four sides, as she celebrates reaching an eighth Wimbledon final, where she can further enhance her greatness. She’ll be going for a second Serena Slam and the third leg of a possible calendar slam, not to mention a 21st grand slam title and a sixth at Wimbledon . She’s a phenomenon. As for Sharapova, the losing run. Goes. On. Serena Williams shakes hands with Maria Sharapova after reaching her first Wimbledon final since 2012. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters Updated 12:04 Second set: *Williams 6-2, 5-4 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Sharapova’s serve jumps into the body of Williams, who nets. Sharapova lets rip with an inside-out forehand to get to 30-0. Oooof, take that. She virtually battered the life out of the ball there. Williams then finishes the ball off for good with a powerful backhand. 30-15.

Another point apiece and it’s 40-30. The pair duke it out from the back of the court, before Williams decides she’s had enough and puts away the backhand winner. Deuce, with Williams, potentially, two points from the final. Now she’s only one point away because Sharapova’s serve creaks under the pressure once again and produces a double fault. Advantage Williams, match point. Williams has the chance to win it, but goes for too much on the cross-court forehand! Deuce. A breathtaking point follows, perhaps the best of the match, some frightening hitting from both players and it’s Sharapova who survives to bring up advantage. Williams, seemingly off-balance, comes up with an unorthodox return winner. Deuce. Advantage Sharapova. Game. Sharapova was staring down the barrel there but survived. Though it may only be for one more game. 11:54 Second set: Williams 6-2, 5-3 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) Sharapova has a bit of a spring in her step after her escape act in the previous game.

She’s jumping around on the baseline pretending to return before Williams has even served. And when Williams does Sharapova takes the first point. And the second. 0-30. Williams recovers her poise, 30-all, but she had a bit of an agonising wait on the fourth point to see if her looping forehand was going to drop back into court. It did, for a winner. 40-30, game, as Sharapova’s attempted return off a sizzling serve barely makes the net. Sharapova must hold serve to stay in this semi-final. 11:50 Second set: *Williams 6-2, 4-3 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Jim Hart emails: “I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the great Vitas Gerulaitis quote after finally getting one over on Jimmy Connors: ‘And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row’. Unfortunately, for Sharapova, it looks like a 17th straight defeat is looming. She slumps to 15-40, two break points down.

But Williams is feeling generous and throws in two forehand errors. Deuce. A rocket of a return, advantage Williams. If she breaks here she’ll be serving for a place in the final. But this time she sprays an errant backhand into the tramlines. Deuce. Advantage Sharapova. Game Sharapova. The Russian allows herself a little fist pump in celebration, having saved those three break points. 11:42 Second set: Williams 6-2, 4-2 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) Apologies, technical errors. But I can tell you that Williams consolidates the break by holding emphatically to love. Defeat is written into Sharapova’s face. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Updated 11:42 Second set: *Williams 6-2, 3-2 Sharapova (*denotes next server) 0-15, 0-30, as Williams, backpedaling, is able to crash down a tricky smash. A rare unforced error from the Williams racket and it’s 15-30. Williams has hit twice as many winners as unforced errors today, 17 to eight.

But look, there’s another. 30-all. Sharapova takes what feels like an age to serve, as she engages in her usual tics; the swipes at the stray wisps of hair, the ball bounces and the extraordinarily high ball toss. The tortured routine does her no good. 30-40, break point. And a fifth double fault hands Williams the game! 11:36 Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) Both playing better now as Serena holds for 2-2. Serena won't have much trouble matching Sharapova's level regardless, but it's going up. July 9, 2015 Second set: Williams 6-2, 2-2 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) Williams twists the knife with a second-serve ace, 15-all. But then loosens it a little as Sharapova gets to 15-30. Could this be a first break point for Sharapova? No, because Williams puts Sharapova under enough pressure to force the Russian to net. 30-all. 40-30.

Game, as Williams sends Sharapova to one side and then wallops the winner to the other. Smart and brutal play. Maria Sharapova struggles to return to Serena Williams. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Updated 11:33 Second set: *Williams 6-2, 1-2 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Sharapova’s found some rhythm on serve. 15-0, 30-0, 40-0. A long pause between the first and second serves on game point, it’s not one that helps Sharapova, double fault. But that’s the only blot in an otherwise positive game. She’s getting more first serves in and picking her spots. Shankar Mony emails to ask: “Williams-Sharapova: has there ever been such a one-sided rivalry between two top players? 17-2?” I can’t think of one at the very top. Sure, Williams has similar records over other players on tour, but not ones who she’s competing with for the game’s biggest prizes.

11:28 Second set: Williams 6-2, 1-1 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) The commentators are crying for Sharapova to make an adjustment to her play and one seems to come when the Russian decides to screech even louder than usual. The screeching gets her to 30 on Williams’s serve. But no further. Williams holds. Second set: *Williams 6-2, 0-1 Sharapova (*denotes next server) A wounded Sharapova responds with her most comfortable game of the day. Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) Have zero clue why Shazza team make no adjustments in there game plan facing SW,standing on baseline to return her serv and never move July 9, 2015 Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) Don't see how Sharapova can beat Serena (never mind today) with her serve so far from being up to code... July 9, 2015 Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) First set to Serena, 6-2. Playing well, but not spectacular—Sharapova far from her level of the Aussie Open final.

#Wimbledon 11:22 Williams wins the first set 6-2 Williams is serving with the new balls. As if she needed any more help as she looks to open up a one-set lead. She starts off with – you guessed it – an ace. 15-0. 30-0. 40-0. Three set points. Sharapova saves the first. But she’s powerless to do anything on the second as Williams bludgeons a backhand winner. Ace + backhand winner + ace + backhand winner = the opening set. And this, readers, looks to be going exactly the same way as their past 16 meetings. Can you see it being any different in the second set? Updated 11:18 First set: *Williams 5-2 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Sharapova appears on course for a comfortable hold at 30-0. But she gets her timing all wrong on the forehand and inexplicably fires wide! Williams is pushing to get to 30-all but then it’s her turn to come up with an ugly error.

Williams, with the court at her mercy, has the time to put away the drive volley but somehow misses! 40-30. Game. Williams will have to serve this set out. 11:14 First set: Williams 5-1 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) The way this is going a repeat of Williams’s 2012 Olympic win isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. Sharapova won only one game then. 15-0. 30-0, with a fifth ace of the day from Williams. Williams whistles a forehand past a stranded Sharapova and it’s game point. Game Williams. Part of the problem for Sharapova is when she whacks it at Williams, Williams whacks it back as hard – if not harder. Sharapova just isn’t used to that. When Sharapova comes up against Williams the baseline bully gets bullied. The Serena Williams serve - the greatest shot of all time in the women’s game? Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Updated 11:11 First set: *Williams 4-1 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Sharapova senses danger at 15-30.

But she’s unable to issue her own call to arms, and dumps into the net. 15-40, two break points. Williams skips into mid-court, with seemingly all the time in the world, and dispatches the forehand winner with ease. Connor Eccott (@CJEccott) Williams is just too powerful for other players to handle. Her power mixed with her passion makes her unstoppable. #Wimbledon @KatyMurrells 11:07 First set: Williams 3-1 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) Sharapova takes a chance on a second serve, lets out a big scream, and attempts to rip down the line. But it’s wide. 15-0, 15-all, 15-30, as Sharapova gets Williams scrambling around the grass. Williams comes back to 30-all, before regaining the initiative with a sizzling serve. And there’s another. Surely it’s the finest shot in women’s tennis? Game. Serena powers another serve as she dominates the first set.

Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Updated 11:04 First set: *Williams 2-1 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Sharapova’s serve is all at sea. 0-15, 0-30. A better play on the next point, as she serves harder and comes in to punish the short ball. 15-30. The pair then go down the middle at each other, before Williams decides to mix things up by sending Sharapova scampering to a forehand and then what should be a backhand, but Williams miscues and Sharapova doesn’t need to hit it. 30-all. 30-40, a chance for Williams to grab a double break. And Sharapova comes up with her best serve so far, an ace out wide. She’ll need a few more of those today. Deuce. Advantage Williams, another break point. Williams hoiks into the tramlines with a messy backhand, deuce. Sharapova looks to have overcooked a drive volley on the next point, but the ball just grazes the baseline and she puts away the next volley with ease. Advantage Sharapova.

And from there Sharapova squeaks through. But already it’s so difficult for her. Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) 10:57 First set: Williams 2-0 Sharapova* (*denotes next server) A little skip from Sharapova after she redeems herself slightly by taking the opening point on Williams’s serve. But she concedes the next two points with forehand errors. Then it’s Williams’s turn to throw in one of her own, 30-all. A first ace for Williams, nearly 120mph down the T, and it’s game point. And a first double fault brings the score back to deuce. Williams is unlikely to give too many of those away today. Sharapova should take advantage while she can. But she doesn’t. Advantage Williams. Game Williams. Maria Sharapova hits three double faults as she loses her first service game. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Updated 10:52 First set: *Williams 1-0 Sharapova (*denotes next server) Ladies and gentlemen, Ms Sharapova will serve first. Let’s play.

Williams starts as she means to go on, with an attempted backhand winner down the line, but she hasn’t found her aim yet and goes wide. 15-0. She gives the ball a good whack and a crack on the next point too, but blazes into the tramlines again with a backhand. 30-0. It’s a case of third time lucky as Williams jumps on a weak second serve with a backhand return winner. 30-15. Sharapova must get more depth on the second serve today if she’s to challenge Williams. But when she goes for more depth on the next second serve, she double faults. Sharapova’s damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. 30-all turns into deuce which turns into advantage Williams when Sharapova doubles for a second time. And a third double fault hands Williams the break! What a horror show from Sharapova. 10:44 Williams, of course, is closing in on another bit of history here. A sixth Wimbledon title would also see her become the current holder of all four grand slam titles, matching her “Serena Slam” in 2002-03.

She would also be three-quarters of the way to a calendar slam, matching Steffi Graf’s 1988 feat. And a 21st grand slam title would leave her only one behind Graf’s Open era record of 22. Do you think she’s already the game’s greatest (you could argue her longevity means she is), or does she need those records to confirm that status? 10:38 They’re already taking aim at each other at the net during the coin toss. Sharapova practices a few swings, Williams a few service motions. Chair umpire Kader Nouni conducts the toss as Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova spar before the match. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/AFP/Getty Images Updated Some pre-match tweets Matt Cronin (@TennisReporters) As I said on @LiveatWimbledon last night only way Maria has real chance v Serena is 2 change it up, return great & dictate early & often July 9, 2015 Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) Serena and Sharapova have only met once in a Slam semifinal. The 2005 Aussie Open changed course of tennis history.

July 9, 2015 Kevin Fischer (@Kfish_WTA) Serena Williams is 24-3 in Grand Slam SF. Only losses to: Venus Williams (2000 Wimbledon) Justine Henin (2003 RG) Kim Clijsters (2009 USO) 10:29 “I heard some people saying: ‘Out, out’. I don’t know what happened. I was just praying it was on the line,” says Muguruza of the pivotal moment at deuce. The Spaniard adds: “The final’s going to be a dream. My parents and brother didn’t want to come over and taint anything. I’ll get them a ticket now. “I don’t have words to explain it. I worked all my life to achieve this moment. I think I was playing really well so I had to stay calm and keep a poker face. “I knew it was going to be tough. I was nervous in second set. She has a lot of experience and I had to fight.” Updated 10:21 There was a big twist at the end of the Muguruza v Radwanska semi-final, by the way.

With Muguruza wavering while serving for the match at 5-3 and deuce on her serve, her shot clipped the baseline, before she sent long on the next. But before she hit that second shot Radwanska’s box shouted “OUT!”, prompting the Pole to challenge mid-point. Hawk-Eye showed Muguruza’s shot was just in. So Radwanska lost the point, despite the fact Muguruza would have conceded the point on the next shot. Radwanska is probably cursing at her team in the locker room right now. It would have been break point. The announcer says: there’ll be a break before Williams and Sharapova arrive. They’ll be on at 3.35pm BST. It’s not clear why. Usually there would only be about 10 minutes before the next players take to court. Updated What’s the definition of a rival? According to the dictionary, it’s this: • a person or thing that tries to defeat or be more successful than another • something or someone that is as good or almost as good as another person or thing Applying the first definition, the relationship between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova is a rivalry.

The game’s fiercest fighters and biggest earners, who make no secret of the fact they don’t really like each other , have been in direct competition for tennis’s top prizes for over a decade, and are facing each other for a 20th time today. But take a look at the breakdown of that head-to-head, and the second definition would suggest Williams and Sharapova share anything but a rivalry. Williams leads 17-2, has prevailed in their past 16 matches and has lost only one set to the Russian since 2010. In their last meeting on grass, at the London 2012 Olympics, Williams conceded only one game. Sharapova’s last victory over her (un)rival came in 2004, the year she stunned Williams to win Wimbledon as a 17-year-old. “I haven’t had great success against her,” Sharapova understated on Tuesday, before Williams deadpanned: “I think I bring out the best in her.

It’s always really good to see her doing well.” Williams increased the comedy further when she said of today’s match: “I don’t have anything to lose.” Williams has much to lose today, more than Sharapova, and perhaps that’s where a potential twist could lie. Will Williams be able to keep her emotions in check as she looks to move within one win of a second Serena Slam? There’s also the even bigger matter of a potential first calendar slam, to match Steffi Graf’s feat in 1988. Williams’s tears during the finale of her third-round match against Heather Watson suggested the pressure was starting to tell, before far more assured displays against her sister Venus in the last 16 and Victoria Azarenka in the quarter-finals, in arguably the match of the women’s tournament. But if any chinks in Williams’ armour do appear this afternoon, Sharapova must be ready to take full advantage. The players will be on court: shortly.

And that’s because: Garbiñe Muguruza, the big-hitting 21-year-old Spaniard, has marked her Centre Court and grand slam semi-final debut by withstanding an Agnieszka Radwanska fightback to win 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Muguruza had won only one match at Wimbledon before this year. She lost to Britain’s Johanna Konta at the warm-up event in Eastbourne two weeks ago. Now she’s in a Wimbledon final! Updated

Question: Who won her only Singles title at Wimbledon in 2004 when she beat Serena Williams in the Final?
Answer: MARIA SHARAPOVA