Williams sees danger in Spaniard who has grown to love grass

Any concept of a fairytale ending for Garbiñe Muguruza will be as welcome in Serena Williams' camp as Maria Sharapova and Grigor Dimitrov turning up at her 34th birthday bash in September. That takes place a few weeks after the US Open by which time Williams may have threatened, equalled or conquered just about every record available to her.

With Muguruza there's no animosity as there is with Sharapova but in Wimbledon there are silent prayers being offered that Muguruza's final was not in winning her semi-final. Yesterday, as Novak Djokovic played against Richard Gasquet on Centre Court, Muguruza was practicing on adjacent Court 14.

At one end a man was slamming down serves at her as another fed the balls back to the server. They came hard and fast. She knows what to expect.

Vastly exceeding her expectations over the last two weeks, the 20th seed had been pleading her case with 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez before the tournament started that she didn’t like grass.

In the circumstances, Muguruza sees the humour of her earlier protestations. “For sure my mentality is going to change,” she said on Friday. “I don’t have a favourite surface . . . I’m changing every week. When I’m playing good, I love this surface. When I’m playing bad, I hate this surface. Actually, now I love grass.”

Beating Serena last year on clay in Paris is the only thing she has going into the final. All other career experiences stack up for the American, who has beaten three different opponents in her five Wimbledon finals. She has a hat-trick over Venus, her sister, while she also beat Vera Zvonareva in 2010 and Agnieszka Radwanska in 2012.

Fearless

But most of all, the Spaniard, who dreamed of Wimbledon as an eight-year-old and used to admiringly watch the 20-times Grand Slam champion on television, may need to develop an iconoclastic streak. Still fearless, she will cling on to the lone 6-2, 6-2 win and demythologise Williams.

“It’s really important because it makes you see and realize that she’s also a person,” said Muguruza. “She also hasfeelings. She’s also nervous.

“She knows that I can win against her, that I’m not afraid. You know, I don’t think she’s really used to this. Serena, she doesn’t lose so many matches in the year. I think it’s important.”

Otherwise the numbers could be crushing. Williams has played in 24 Grand Slam finals and lost four, Muguruza has been in none. Williams has been in 28 Grand Slam semi-finals, Muguruza one, against Radwanska two days ago.

Williams has played in 251 Grand Slam matches to Muguruza’s 20. The freight of the American from major tournaments is more than 10 times that of the Spanish player. Just two years ago in 2013 Muguruza was ranked outside the top 100 players. After the final she will be in the top 10.

A veteran looking for a title or a player engineering history, already Williams is a role model for black women and now redrawing the map of what are considered her twilight years in tennis. Those traits that might have condemned players in the past give her insight. She understands the dynamics of the 20-year-old coming in with power and front to her game and little to lose.

“She’s done well at the French Open a few times. She’s played really big there,” said Williams cautiously. “I don’t think she’s intimidated at all. She’s not that kind of person.

“I mean, she has Wimbledon to lose. I think we both have Wimbledon to lose . . . so I think that’s something. And, yeah, she’s beaten me before, so she knows how to win. So it puts her in a unique position where she has an opportunity to become Wimbledon champ.”

Far-fetched ideas

Sharapova may not be in the same continent as the Willliams clan for Serena’s birthday in over two months’ time. But far-fetched ideas always have a place in sport, Muguruza’s to bring down her idol, William’s to claim history.

The ‘Serena Slam’. Graf’s 22 titles. Everything today on Centre Court is big. It always is.