By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 13, 2017
Pouncing on a short serve, Garbiñe Muguruza slashed a backhand return down the line that left Magdalena Rybarikova shaking her head at the clean severity of the strike.
Playing her most dynamic tennis of the season, Muguruza shredded Rybarikova in a ruthless semifinal statement of intent that reverberated around Centre Court.
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Striking with menacing ambition, Muguruza roared through 10 of the first 11 games demolishing Rybarikova, 6-1, 6-1, charging into her second Wimbledon final in the last three years.
When it was over, Muguruza flashed a fist and gave a wide smile toward her support box, including 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, who has been coaching the 14th-seeded Spaniard during this fortnight.
“I think I played very well for sure,” Muguruza told the BBC’s Phil Jones afterward. “It was a tricky match. She was playing very good through this tournament. I think I stepped on the court super confident and everything went well.”
There is a time and place for everything.
The first major semifinal of her career on Centre Court was not the time of place for a rattled Rybarikova, who threw just about everything she could at Muguruza—drop shots, lobs, slices and angles—but was absolutely powerless to slow her opponent whipping winners like all the right answers on an exam.
Pouncing from a predatory crouch, Muguruza took the ball early, ripped returns, broke serve five times, won 12 of 20 points played on the Slovak’s second serve and never gave Rybarikova a shred of hope in an overwhelming performance.
The 2016 Roland Garros champion played with calm conviction winning 19 of 25 trips to net sending a message of all-court aggression for Saturday’s final where she will face five-time champion Venus Williams.
The 37-year-old Venus did not drop serve dismissing sixth-seeded Briton Johanna Konta, 6-4, 6-2, in today's second semifinal.
“I don’t even remember how I felt (winning the) French Open,” Muguruza said. “I’m just thinking I’m playing well and I want to keep it up for the last match and hopefully this will go my way….
“I’m gonna enjoy being in Grand Slam final. It’s a great achievement. I definitely want to win no matter who is front of me.”
At times, Rybarikova resembled a mime trying to combat an MMA fighter.
Playing with kinesiology taping wrapping around her left thigh, Muguruza made her forward intent clear in the opening game knifing a backhand volley winner to hold at 30.
The 87th-ranked Slovak was wrong-footed by a Muguruza backhand down the line to face break point. A jittery Rybarikova double-faulted to donate the break and a 2-0 lead to her opponent.
Bending low to combat her opponent’s slice backhand, Muguruza powered through 15 of the first 20 points opening up triple break point in the fourth game. Rybarikova erased all three then blocked a high forehand volley to save a fourth break point.
The slender Rybarikova deployed her finesse game and deft drop shot beautifully defusing power players Karolina Pliskova and CoCo Vandeweghe en route to her first Grand Slam semifinal.
Muguruza and Spanish Fed Cup captain Martinez, who has been coaching the Spaniard as coach Sam Sumyk did not make the trip to London, were ready for that play.
Quick off the mark, Muguruza pounced on the drop shots winning 10 of 14 trips to net in the first set.
A backhand swing volley set up a fifth break point and when Rybarikova bashed a wild backhand, Muguruza had a second break and a 4-0 lead.
Twenty-seven minutes into the match, a reeling Rybarikova steadied herself with a solid service hold at 30 to finally get on the board eliciting a sympathetic cheer from the Centre Court crowd.
That hold was a brief reprieve as Muguruza slide a serve winner out wide powering through the 30-minute opening set with conviction. One of only five women to defeat Serena Williams in a major final was now only one set from her third Grand Slam championship match.
The subtle hand-skills and ball-control precision Rybarikova displayed throughout the tournament offered little resistance against the 2015 Wimbledon finalist’s heavy, deep drives that pinned the Slovak behind the baseline. Muguruza scored her third break to start the second set.
Thumping an ace down the middle, Muguruza backed up the break and widened the gap.
A collective gasp erupted from some in the crowd when Muguruza blasted a backhand return winner down the line to break at love for 3-0 after 42 minutes of play.
At that point, Rybarikova was playing to avoid a bagel and extend the match past the one-hour mark. Changing direction beautifully throughout the match, Muguruza completely her 6-3, 6-1 loss to Rybarikova in their lone prior grass-court clash at the 2015 Birmingham.
On this day, Muguruza was omnipotent.
Battering a backhand down the line, the 14th-seeded Spaniard drew one final error closing a comprehensive beat down in 64 minutes.