The Latest: French Open final gets underway
PARIS (AP) The Latest on the French Open (all times local):
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8:30 p.m.
Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez have won the French Open doubles title after defeating Bob and Mike Bryan in the final 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3.
They've become the first Spanish pair to win at Roland Garros in 26 years, and denied the most successful duo of all time a 17th major title.
Their victory also benefited Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, who will top the doubles ranking for the first time next week.
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8:15 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza competes for Spain, but she was born in Venezuela, and the new French Open champion spoke about her native country Saturday.
''Venezuela, I always have it in my heart, even though there is a Spanish flag under my name,'' Muguruza said. ''I have a lot of support from there.''
And she added: ''I not only play for Spain. I play for both.''
Muguruza, 22, was born in Caracas to a Venezuelan mother and Spanish father. When she was a kid, her family moved to Spain.
She called her 7-5, 6-4 win against Serena Williams in the final at Roland Garros a ''great victory, as well, for Venezuela.''
''I think that sports in general and tennis should be practiced more and more in Venezuela,'' Muguruza said. ''I would like to have more children playing tennis.''
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7:10 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza's coach Sam Sumyk said he will be celebrating with a glass of Bordeaux - red - his first drink in two years.
''She really believed in it. For the past 24 hours, we've been believing in it strongly. We didn't make too many mistakes in the past fortnight. That helps. We prepared well. We prepared well for all the matches. And today she pulled out a big, big match. So all the credit goes to my player.''
Sumyk, who previously coached former top-ranked player Victoria Azarenka to two Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013, praised Muguruza for her ''magnificent'' display.
''I'm convinced that she was panicking a bit inside, that the fires were burning, but she managed that part and those moments well,'' he said. ''For a coach who is watching that, it's magnificent.''
It was Muguruza's second victory over Williams at Roland Garros. Two years ago, Williams was upset 6-2, 6-2 in the second round. But the Spaniard had never got the best of her in a final.
''Hard to top that, no? We can treat ourselves to a quiet drink. What's the phrase, `We can die happy?' Well we'll go and have a quiet drink,'' he said. ''She has extraordinary mental resources.''
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6:20 p.m.
Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou said she wasn't suffering from any physical problems and rejected any suggestion that she is somehow cowered mentally by the challenge of getting to 22 major titles.
At age 34, the American failed in her bid to earn her 22nd major championship and equal Steffi Graf's Open-era record.
''It's not easy to match records,'' Mouratoglou said. ''We'll get there. It will take the time that it takes. As long as we're in Grand Slam finals and semifinals, we'll have many opportunities to do it. If she did this with ease, she wouldn't be human. It was hard to win the 17th, the 18th. It will be hard to win the 22nd and the 23rd. But we will do it. It's a matter of time.''
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6:00 p.m.
Serena Williams did not make excuses with the fact that she has been suffering from a thigh muscle injury in Paris.
Asked if she had some physical issues during her loss against Garbine Muguruza in the French Open final, the top-ranked Williams said: ''It was OK. I'm not one to ever make excuses and say, like, `Oh, my adductor was hurting,' or whatever. At the end of the day I didn't play the game I needed to play to win and she did. Adductor or not, she played to win.''
Williams was then asked about what made the difference in the match. Her verdict? Muguruza was the better player on important points.
''She won the first set by one point. I mean, that just goes to show you (that) you really have to play the big points well, and she played the big points really well.''
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5:30 p.m.
The last three Grand Slam finals have produced first-time champions. After Flavia Pennetta at the U.S. Open last year and Angelique Kerber at the 2016 Australian Open, it's now Garbine Muguruza's turn to taste victory at a major.
Ahead of her French Open victory, Garbine Muguruza had said tennis fans seem ready for new faces at the top of women's tennis after the long domination by Serena Williams.
Judging from the resounding cheers on the Court Philippe Chatrier when she lifted the trophy, she may be right.
Williams put on a very brave face after the defeat that prevented her from matching Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam titles.
She spoke in French to the crowd, thanking spectators for their support.
Muguruza said ''I can't explain with words what this day means to me'' and that ''for Spain and for me this is just amazing.''
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5:20 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza, the new French Open champion, says she is ''so, so excited'' to have beaten Serena Williams in what she called ''the perfect final.''
With red clay dust still clinging to her shirt, the 22-year-old Spaniard told on-court interviewer Marion Bartoli that she ''tried to fight as much as I can'' on her way to her first Grand Slam title.
Billie Jean King is presenting the trophies.
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5:10 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza will surely remember that lob for the rest of her life.
The 22-year-old Spaniard claimed the French Open title on her fifth match point after landing a lob on the baseline, a shot that drew a smile from Serena's face.
The fourth-seeded Muguruza then put her face in her hands and fell on her back while her coach Sam Sumyk jumped from his chair and raised both arms in the air.
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5:05 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza has won the French Open by defeating top-ranked Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
This is Muguruza's first Grand Slam title.
At age 34, Williams was bidding to earn her 22nd major championship and equal Steffi Graf's Open-era record. She was the defending champion in Paris.
Williams saved four match points in the ninth game of the second set but could not prevent Muguruza from serving out the match in the next game.
The 22-year-old Muguruza was playing in her second Grand Slam final after losing to Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final.
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4:45 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza is two games away from her first Grand Slam title.
Muguruza is up a break and leads 7-5, 4-3 in her French Open final against Serena Williams.
After she was broken three times in a row, Serena Williams managed to hold her next two service games on Court Philippe Chatrier. But the top-ranked American is still in danger.
Serena has let out her first big ''Come On'' after landing a powerful backhand pass down the line. She's still fighting.
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4:29 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza is putting Serena Williams on the back foot with her powerful shots and broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set.
Williams dropped her serve for the third consecutive time.
But will the Spanish player hold her nerve? The last time she broke, she immediately allowed Serena back in the match with three double faults.
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4:15 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza has served out the first set in her French Open final against Serena Williams.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard broke for a 6-5 lead with two consecutive crosscourt attacks that left Williams stranded on the red clay, then held to seal the set 7-5.
Muguruza saved break points with two big serves when down 15-40, then needed three set points before taking it.
Williams has been struggling with her forehand, making unusual errors on her signature shot.
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4:00 p.m.
A crosscourt forehand winner and a backhand mistake from Garbine Muguruza have given Serena Williams her first break in the French Open final.
It's a very tight match so far, with Williams ahead 5-4 in the opening set.
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3:40 p.m.
Garbine Muguruza got the first break of serve in her French Open final against Serena Williams.
Despite the slow conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier, the women's final has started at a high pace.
Both players have been exchanging powerful groundstrokes from the baseline with Serena applying pressure immediately with her aggressive returns.
Muguruza saved two break points to level at 2-2 in the opening set and broke in the next game after Williams hit a double fault.
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3:25 p.m.
The French Open final between top-ranked Serena Williams and fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza has started.
Under cloudy skies and in a damp atmosphere, Williams won the first point of the match - as Muguruza sent a backhand long - and held her serve at love.
This is the second time that Muguruza and Williams are playing each other at Roland Garros. Two years ago, Williams was upset 6-2, 6-2 in the second round by her Spanish rival.
At age 34, the American is bidding to earn her 22nd major championship and equal Steffi Graf's Open-era record. She is the defending champion in Paris.
The 22-year-old Muguruza is playing in her second Grand Slam final after losing to Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final.
