Garbine Muguruza, the latest graduate of Spain’s endless grand slam production line, has surged into the Wimbledon final with a breathtaking display.
The Venezuelan-born baseliner had not won a singles title until triumphing as a qualifier in Hobart last year but she is now suddenly a global star.
Ranked 20th in the world, the 21-year-old stunned Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 3-6 6-3 to advance to Saturday’s final.
The first Spanish woman to contest a Wimbledon semi-final since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1997, Muguruza will play either Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova.
Mrguruza collapsed in raw emotion after clubbing a forehand winner to advance after 115 minutes.
“I do not have words,” Muguruza said. “I’ve worked all my life to achieve this, so no words.
“I think I played really, really well in the first set — probably too well.
“I had to calm down so I put on a poker face.
“In the second set, I was really nervous and I had to fight so hard in the third set.”
Muguruza rocketed out of the blocks with a service break in the opening game to grab a control she would never relinquish.
Overpowering Radwanska from the baseline, the right-hander broke serve again in the fifth game to leave her rattled opponent searching for answers.
Radwanska averted another serving crisis in the seventh game, saving two set points, before Muguruza coolly pocketed the set after 34 minutes.
If Radwanska hoped the Muguruza storm would abate into the second set, she was wrong.
The Spaniard continued to pummel her defences and was rewarded with yet another service break in the opening game to tighten her grip
Leading 3-1, and with Radwanska struggling on serve at 15-30, Muguruza was all but in the final.
But just as victory beckoned, Radwanska stormed back to reel off six consecutive games to level the match — with a service break in the decider.
Muguruza eventually snapped the sequence in the following game to have a rollercoaster back on terms.
After a fierce struggle to hold for 2-all, she again went on the attack to break Radwanska before edging to a 5-2 buffer.
It almost wasn’t enough as Radwanska close to 3-5 and held two break points to get back on serve.
And she might have converted had not a member of her support staff called “out” on a Muguruza forehand.
Radwanska kept playing before Muguruza stopped before HawkEye showed the ball had caught the line, giving the Spanish match point.
No Spanish woman has won at Wimbledon since 1994 when Conchita Martinez upset Martina Navratilova.
The last Spaniard to triumph at Wimbledon was Rafael Nadal.
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