Sunday 5 June 2016 11:25, UK
Garbine Muguruza will be in the spotlight after the Spaniard achieved the rare feat of overpowering Serena Williams to claim her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, says Barry Cowan.
The 22-year-old fourth seed, who lost to Williams in last year's Wimbledon final, became the first Spaniard to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1998.
In her first final on the dirt at Roland Garros, she relied on a powerful first serve and jaw-dropping winners to subdue the top seed and world No 1 in a battle of will.
"I don't see Muguruza as a one hit wonder," tennis expert Cowan told Sky Sports. "There's a huge vacuum at the top of the women's game to take over that mantle of being able to lead the women's game along with Serena because it doesn't look as though she's going away anytime soon.
"Apart from [Victoria] Azarenka, there's no one else. There is a huge gap and people will ask the question, is it going to be Muguruza?
"I think in the next two or three months we will learn a lot whether she feels she can build on that. She's at an age which she should be able to.
"It's not like she's winning a Slam at 18 - this should be the start. She'll be in the spotlight and not only will we expect great performances, but she will also expect great performances from herself.
"She's not someone who can win three Slams a year, but I don't think she is someone who will stick on one Slam."
She'll be in the spotlight and not only will we expect great performances, but she will also expect great performances from herself.
Williams, who was gunning for a professional era record 22nd major title, suffered a shock semi-final loss to Italian journeywoman Roberta Vinci at the US Open before defeat to Germany's Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open title match in January.
Her 7-5 6-4 loss to Muguruza, 12 years her junior, was the first time in her storied career that she had lost two successive Grand Slam finals and although Williams' loss surprised Cowan, he believes she will return with a vengeance at Wimbledon where she will be defending her title.
"I thought Serena would win," admitted Cowan. "Purely for the fact that she's shown, not just this week, but also at the French Open last year, that she's never beaten and even when she's not playing her best tennis she can find a way.
"But you felt the way that she was there for the taking and although there was the question as whether a lot of players don't have to true belief to close it out, Muguruza did today.
"She won her first major and I thought she thoroughly deserved it. She was a lot more aggressive and looked a lot more composed at the big moments and that surprised Serena. They've played before and Serena has lost to her before at the French Open.
"Last year, I think you can't underestimate how much those three majors took out of Serena and obviously she was chasing two massive parts of history in trying to win all four majors, and as every major went by the pressure got more intense.
"It looks to me that she wants to equal Steffi Graf's open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles so badly that sometimes it can be at the detriment of being able to play your best tennis and she seems a little inhibited at the moment.
"I'm sure she'll feel a little happy going onto grass where she is certainly more dangerous.
"I think she will do it because what I see from Serena is that burning desire to do it and when you have that burning desire, incredible talent as well as experience, it certainly adds in her favour."
Follow our live blog of the men's final between world No 1 Novak Djokovic and Britain's Andy Murray this Sunday from midday on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
