Wimbledon: Garbine Muguruza beats Agnieszka Radwanska

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza beat former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in three sets to reach her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon.

The Venezuelan-born 20th seed won 6-2 3-6 6-3 on Centre Court and will face Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final.

Muguruza, 21, led by a set and a break only for Radwanska to respond with six straight games and force a decider.

“I don’t have words to explain it,” Muguruza told BBC Sport.

“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.”

Muguruza holds her nerve in decider

Muguruza completely dominated for a set and a half, winning more than half of the points on Radwanska’s serve and hitting three times as many winners as she built a 6-2 3-1 lead.

It took 55 minutes for Radwanska to earn a break point but, when Muguruza found the net, it heralded a dramatic shift in momentum.

The Pole finally began to move her 6ft-tall opponent around, testing her more vulnerable forehand and drawing her into the net with sliced backhands.

It brought Radwanska a run of six straight games as she levelled at one set all and broke at the start of the decider.

Muguruza, who beat Serena Williams at the French Open last year, stemmed the tide with a couple of winners to break back for 1-1 and a gripping contest unfolded.

The Spaniard won a brilliant point with a defensive lob and a crunching backhand winner for a 4-2 lead and survived a tense game when trying to serve out the win.

Radwanska had two break points and was pushing for a third at deuce when, seemingly urged on by those in her player box, the Pole challenged a Muguruza shot that Hawkeye showed to have clipped the line.

A relieved Muguruza converted her first match point with a big serve and forehand drive-volley to become Spain’s first female finalist since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1996.

Radwanska rues Hawkeye call

Radwanska admitted that her decision to challenge at deuce in what proved to be the final game let an increasingly nervous Muguruza off the hook.

“It was 50/50 call on that ball. I decide to challenge. Wasn’t really good decision,” said the Pole.

Asked whether she had done so after shouts from her team at courtside, Radwanska added: “I think I did it because I’m the one to decide if I challenge or not. Nobody can do that for me.”

source: bbc