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Game, Set, and Match Muguruza 6-2, 6-4 as Muguruza makes a first French Open final and a second ever Grand Slam final.
40-30: Muguruza hits another huge ace down the middle to bring up match point.
30-30: Muguruza cracks a huge ace down the middle.
15-30: Muguruza double faults.
15-15: Muguruza hits a huge serve, unreturned by Stosur.
0-15: Muguruza misses long.
Stosur holds for 5-4 off of some improved play from the Aussie. Muguruza will serve for a spot in the final next.
40-30: Muguruza misses a return long.
30-30: Stosur nets a forehand.
30-15: Muguruza nets a backhand return.
15-15: Stosur double faults.
15-0: Stosur hits a big ace out wide.
Stosur cracks a huge backhand winner down the line to break for 5-3. Stosur will serve to stay in the match.
0-40: Muguruza misses a forehand long.
0-30: Muguruza misses an easy, approach shot backhand.
0-15: Muguruza nets a forehand in a long rally.
Stosur double faults to gift the double break to Muguruza and with it the chance to serve for a spot in the final. Muguruza now up 6-2, 5-2.
40-AD: Stosur nets a backhand.
40-40: Muguruza bats down a big volley for a winner.
AD-40: Muguruza barely misses a forehand long.
40-40: Muguruza misses a forehand wide.
30-40: Muguruza hits a huge forehand unreturned by Stosur.
30-30: Muguruza hits a cheeky drop shot winner after Stosur tracked down a lob in a beautiful point from both.
30-15: Muguruza nets a return.
15-15: Stosur hits a big backhand winner.
0-15: Stosur misses a forehand long.
Muguruza holds for 4-2 off of a big backhand unreturned from Stosur. The Spaniard now only two games from the final.
40-15: Stosur cannot return serve.
30-15: Stosur attempts a lob only for it to sail long over Muguruza.
15-15: Muguruza misses long.
15-0: Stosur misses a forehand on-the-run wide.
Stosur double faults to give Muguruza the break and a 3-2 second set lead.
30-40: Stosur cracks a big forehand, unreturned by Muguruza to save break point.
15-40: Stosur misses a forehand wide.
15-30: Muguruza bullets a return at Stosur, the Aussie hitting long.
15-15: Muguruza nets a backhand.
0-15: Muguruza directs a big forehand right into the corner for a winner.
Stosur gets her first break of the match with a big forehand winner from the Aussie to level at 2-all.
30-40: Muguruza cracks a forehand, unreturned by Stosur.
15-40: Muguruza double faults.
15-30: Stosur hits a huge backhand passing shot winner.
15-15: Stosur hits a forehand return long.
0-15: Muguruza misses a forehand long.
Stosur gets on the board at 2-1 off of a missed forehand from Muguruza. Muguruza still up a break.
AD-40: Muguruza misses an easy overhead long.
40-40: Stosur hits a forehand off the net wide.
40-30: Stosur hits an unreturned serve.
30-30: Stosur nets a backhand.
30-15: Muguruza misses a forehand long.
15-15: Muguruza misses a forehand long.
0-15: Stosur misses a forehand long.
Muguruza holds off of a big ace down the middle for 2-0.
40-0: Muguruza threads a backhand down the line with perfect precision.
30-0: Muguruza cracks an ace down the middle.
15-0: Stosur misses a return long.
Muguruza gains the early break again off of a backhand sailing long from Stosur to go up 1-0.
15-40: Stosur whips a forehand winner up the line, confirmed by the chair umpire as in.
0-40: Muguruza barrels a forehand winner down the line.
0-30: Stosur nets another forehand.
0-15: Stosur nets a forehand.
Muguruza takes the opening set 6-2 after Stosur misses a return long. Muguruza now one set from a second Grand Slam final.
40-30: Muguruza follows up a big serve with a swing volley winner to bring up set point.
30-30: Muguruza nets a backhand.
30-15: Muguruza hits a backhand approach shot winner.
15-15: Stosur swats down a high forehand for a winner.
15-0: Stosur hits a return into the net.
Stosur holds for 5-2 after Muguruza nets a backhand. Muguruza will serve for the opening set next.
AD-40: Muguruza misses a forehand wide.
40-40: Stosur completely mis-hits a forehand.
40-30: Stosur double faults.
40-15: Stosur blasts an ace down the middle.
30-15: Muguruza beautifully places a forehand winner on the line.
30-0: Muguruza misses a forehand wide.
15-0: Stosur hits an ace out wide.
Muguruza puts herself a game from taking the opening set off of a backhand swing volley winner to go up 5-1. Stosur will serve to stay in the set.
40-30: Muguruza misses an on-the-run forehand long.
40-15: Muguruza cracks a big ace down the middle.
30-15: Stosur forehand return clips the net cord and goes wide.
15-15: Stosur misses a forehand wide.
0-15: Muguruza nets a backhand.
Stosur gets on the board with a hold off of a netted return from Muguruza for 4-1.
40-15: Muguruza misses a forehand long.
30-15: Muguruza misses a forehand return long.
15-15: Muguruza bullets a backhand return down the line for a winner.
15-0: Stosur cracks an overhead winner.
Muguruza holds for 4-0 off of a big forehand passing shot winner.
40-15: Stosur misses a forehand return long.
30-15: Stosur nets a forehand.
15-15: Stosur slides into a forehand, missing wide.
0-15: Muguruza double faults.
Muguruza takes the double break for 3-0 after Stosur gifts the break away again on a double fault.
15-40: Big serve by Stosur unreturned by Muguruza.
0-40: Stosur mishits another forehand long.
0-30: Stosur double faults.
0-15: Stosur hits a backhand long.
Muguruza holds after a lob from Stosur sails long to give the Spaniard a 2-0 lead.
AD-40: Big hitting from Muguruza results in unreturned backhand from Stosur for game point.
40-40: Stosur misses the return wide.
30-40: Muguruza saves break point with a backhand winner.
15-40: Muguruza double faults again.
15-30: Muguruza hits a forehand straight into the net.
15-15: Muguruza hits a backhand, unreturned by Stosur.
0-15: Muguruza double faults.
Muguruza gains the early break for 1-0 off of a backhand into the net from Stosur.
15-40: Muguruza bats down a forehand volley for a winner.
15-30: Stosur frames a forehand long.
15-15: Big backhand down the line winner from Muguruza.
15-0: Muguruza hits a backhand into the net.
Samantha Stosur won the toss and elected to serve.
Garbiñe Muguruza and Samantha Stosur walk onto Court Suzanne Lenglen.
With both Muguruza and Stosur being no strangers to late rounds at Grand Slams and both showcasing impressive tennis coming in, this match is bound to be an enthralling one. For Muguruza, the Spaniard will need to use her big power game well, playing good, first strike tennis to dominate proceedings. For Stosur, the Australian will need to rely on her trademark kick serve on the high bouncing clay if she hopes to move into a second Roland Garros final. In the end, Muguruza has looked the better player this tournament and expect the defending Wimbledon finalist to move into a second Grand Slam final here in Paris in three sets.
While Muguruza has enjoyed some Grand Slam success before, Stosur has seen even more late rounds at majors over her 32 years. Stosur first burst onto the Grand Slam scene here in Paris seven years ago, reaching a maiden Grand Slam semifinal before falling short against former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. The following year the Aussie went one better, shocking three-time Roland Garros winner Serena Williams in the quarterfinals to reach her first major final ,before eventually falling to Italian Francesca Schiavone. A year later in 2011, the world number 24 claimed a first ever Grand Slam title, stunning world number one Serena Williams in straight sets to take the US Open title, the only Grand Slam title of Stosur's career so far. Stosur's best performance at a major since the 2011 US Open win came here in 2012, reaching another semifinal before getting upset by Italian Sara Errani in three sets.
With Muguruza having made the quarterfinals in the French capital the past three years now, the Spaniard has played some big matches on the Parisian clay recently. The fourth's seed break out run came here in 2014, stunning world number one Serena Williams in the second round on her way to a quarterfinal meeting with 2012 champion Maria Sharapova. After dominating the five-time Grand Slam winner in the opening set and getting Sharapova on the ropes, the Russian was able to fight back, eventually winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 before going on to win the title that year. The following year, the world number four again made a deep run in Paris, upsetting 2016 Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in three sets on her way to the quarterfinals. There in the last eight Muguruza again fell, this time in straight sets, to eventual finalist Lucie Safarova. Later that year the 22-year-old achieved a first ever Grand Slam final, reaching the Wimbledon final after downing four seeded players in a row only to lose to 21-time major winner Serena Williams in the final.
Surprisingly for two established top 20 players, Muguruza and Stosur have only met once back in 2014 on the fast red clay of Madrid, Muguruza's home tournament. In a tight second round matchup, the Aussie edged past Muguruza, winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. Though their meeting here in Paris is also on clay, the conditions at Roland Garros could not be any different from the ones in Madrid. In Madrid, players deal with high altitude and fast conditions, while this week in Paris has been filled with heavy, cold conditions, causing the already slow clay to become even slower. Since both Muguruza and Stosur possess such powerful games this should not serve as that big of a factor as both players certainly can hit through a slow clay court, something they have proven this week.
Unlike Muguruza who has had a fairly straight forward route to the last four here in Paris, Stosur has been made to battle, winning tight three setters throughout to book her semifinal spot. The Aussie opened against tricky Japanese lefty Misaki Doi, having to fight for survival against Doi, eventually winning through 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. The 2011 US Open champion then fended off Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-4 to set up a third round meeting with last year's finalist and Stosur's nemesis Lucie Safarova. In one of the highest quality matches all tournament, the 2010 finalist took the opening set 6-3, before Safarova responded, forcing a third set after bagelling her Australian opponent in the tiebreak 7-0. The three-time semifinalist kept battling on though, eventually wearing the Czech down, winning through to the second week 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. The 21st seed kept up the upsets going, stunning 2014 finalist Simona Halep 7-6, 6-3 in a match played over the course of two days. In the quarterfinals, Stosur edged past former Wimbledon semifinalist Tsevtana Pironkova 6-4, 7-6 to reach the last four and a match up with Muguruza.
Muguruza opened her tournament with a battle, coming from a set down to defeat Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. The Spaniard then eased past Frenchwomen Myrtille Georges 6-2, 6-0, before again cruising past Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-0 to book her spot in the second week in Paris. The fourth seed then put on a brilliant display of power and accuracy to hold off former Roland Garros champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-4. Most recently in the last eight, the past two years' quarterfinalist booked her semifinal spot with a straight forward win over fairy tale American Shelby Rogers.
Welcome to live coverage of the French Open semifinal! My name is Thomas Cluck, and I am happy to be bringing you point-by-point coverage of the French Open semifinal here on VAVEL. From now until the match begins at 7:00 am ET, news and notes will be above to get you up to speed. Be sure to return at match time for point-by-point updates!