Wimbledon 2015: Garbine Muguruza beats Agnieszka Radwanska to make final
Thursday 9 July 2015 15:45, UK
Garbine Muguruza reached her first major final with a scintillating 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
The 20th seed proved too powerful for the Pole over nearly two hours to become the first Spanish woman to reach the Wimbledon final since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1996.
She will face either five-time champion Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova in Saturday's final.
Muguruza had to endure some nervy moments before securing victory, seeing a 3-1 lead in the second set disappear against the three-time semi-finalist.
But the Spaniard, who has only one tour title to her name, secured victory with a power-packed flowing forehand, her 39th winner of the contest.
Muguruza showed no early nerves in the biggest match of her career and seemed to be on course for a quickfire victory when she powered through the first set and moved 3-1 ahead in the second.
But wily 13th seed Radwanska dug her heels in and the momentum shifted her way with a run of six successive games.
Muguruza, the youngest of the semi-finalists, never lost heart though despite going down an early break in the decider, and after winning a tense service game at 2-2 she broke Radwanska and then held her own serve for a 5-2 ahead.
There were understandable nerves as Muguruza, 21, served for the match at 5-3, not helped by a foot-fault and a double-fault, but she clinched victory on her first match point with a swinging forehand volley after a powerful first serve forced Radwanska into a desperate high return.