Muguruza captures first Wimbledon title

Garbine Muguruza justified ante-post quotes of 14-1 as she sealed a first Wimbledon title with a straight-sets victory over Venus Williams.

The Spaniard, who won her first Grand Slam when she beat Venus’s sister Serena in the French Open last year, was a 17-20 chance before the final but she was forced to work hard to see off the veteran, who was also 14-1 at the start of the tournament.

The pair traded service holds for much of the opening set and Williams looked likely to take the first as she forced two set points on the Muguruza serve with the match poised at 5-4. But the 23-year-old was able to save both before breaking Venus’s serve in the following game.

Muguruza then held to take the opening set 7-5.

If the first was tight, the second was the complete opposite with Venus left to rue those missed opportunities as Muguruza took complete control, dominating the second set 6-0 to capture the Venus Rosewater Dish and a second Slam victory.

Most bookmakers reacted by making the Spanish player clear favourite to capture back-to-back Grand Slams at the US Open, which starts on August 28.

Muguruza is now a 6-1 shot with most firms but Betway and 188Bet still have Karolina Pliskova, who was knocked out of Wimbledon by semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova, as their outright favourite.

Victoria Azarenka, who made an encouraging return to Grand Slam tennis at the All England Club after giving birth to her first child, is no bigger than 8-1 while former world number one Angelique Kerber, Maria Sharapova and Britain’s Johanna Konta are all also single-figure odds.

Vanquished Venus has already lost in two Slam finals this season and can be backed at 20-1 to go one better at Flushing Meadows.