Five things Serena must do to win the French Open title

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Thanks to the likes of Kiki Bertens, Yulia Putintseva, and others, top-seeded Serena Williams managed to work around all the land mines planted in the red clay of Roland Garros when the draw first came out.

Now it’s payback time.

Williams managed to avoid No. 3 Angelique Kerber, No. 5 Victoria Azarenka and No. 8 Timea Bacsinszky. But in the final, the only round that matters for 34-year-old Williams at this point in her illustrious career, she faces her youngest and perhaps most legitimate rival, Garbine Muguruza.

The 22-year-old Spanish pro, seeded No. 4, upset Williams in the second round of the French Open in 2014 but lost to the American in the 2015 Wimbledon final. Williams leads the rivalry 3-1.

This match might become Muguruza’s breakthrough Grand Slam, but the more resonant theme is Williams’ 11th-hour hunt for that elusive 22nd Grand Slam singles title. A win would tie her as the Open era leader with Steffi Graf.

Here are five things Williams must do to win on Saturday:

1. Return well

Two years ago, Garbine Muguruza beat down Serena Williams in the second round of the French Open. Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images

If there’s a weak spot in Muguruza’s statistical profile at this tournament, it’s in her second-serve success rate. That’s great news for Williams, given the significance most analysts assign to that category. Muguruza has won an average of 48.3 percent of her second serves (Williams is at 54 percent), which is so-so at best. Muguruza won just 41 percent in her semifinal win against Stosur.

Williams has a formidable return off either side. The slow clay will help the return of both players, but as Williams is the superior shot-maker, it will be an even greater …

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