BEST ENTRANCE
Plenty expected Garbiñe Muguruza to make an over-respectful, cagey start. She broke in the opening game.
GAME OF THE DAY
Second set, Williams 5-4 Muguruza. Maybe the whole tournament’s best game. The 21-year-old, who had looked done for, produced a stunning battling display to gain an unlikely, match-saving break.
THE PRECEDENT
The omens were never good for the newcomer, though – who was five when Serena Williams won her first major. The last four first-time finalists have all been beaten: Muguruza, Eugenie Bouchard, Sabine Lisicki and Agnieszka Radwanska.
FACT OF THE DAY
At 33 years and 289 days Williams became the oldest player to win a grand slam singles title in the Open era – 26 days more mature than Martina Navratilova when she lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 1990.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Muguruza, explaining her post-match tears: “I couldn’t stop crying. So many people are clapping. I don’t know, I make all these people feel this in a tennis court? I was like, I don’t know. I just felt special.”
AND THE NICEST TOUCH
Williams, consoling Muguruza after collecting her 21st grand slam singles title: “Don’t be sad. You’ll be holding this trophy very soon, believe me. You’re a great champ.”
UNAVOIDABLE CELEB WATCH
Last week was mostly about David Beckham, Romeo Beckham, Romeo’s grandma and David catching a tennis ball. Saturday’s celebs provided some more variety: Canadian rapper Drake, actor Rosamund Pike; and, bringing a touch of class, Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey.
ROW OF THE DAY
How smart was it for the BBC to stick an advert for the Great British Bake Off in the middle of the women’s final? Not very, reckoned Twitter.
BETTER DAY FOR …
After a tough Friday at the hands of Roger Federer, it felt like a better day for Scots at Wimbledon: royalist Nicola Sturgeon graced the royal box, while patriotic vapour trails lingered above Centre Court.
RETURN OF THE DAY
.@diegtristan8 "she is built like a man". Yeah, my husband looks just like this in a dress. You're an idiot. pic.twitter.com/BCvT10MYkI
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 11, 2015
Author JK Rowling, batting away an online troll who tweeted that Serena Williams was “built like a man”. Rowling, who uploaded a picture of the champion in an elegant red dress, said: “Yeah, my husband looks just like this in a dress. You’re an idiot.”
