Seven-time Grand Slam-winner Venus Williams believes Garbine Muguruza can “keep going higher” after she soared to fourth in the world rankings after victory at the China Open.
Williams, 35, beat the 22-year-old Spaniard when she retired from this month’s Wuhan Open title match, but she said the Wimbledon finalist had the talent to keep rising.
“She really has so much talent – she can keep going higher,” Williams said ahead of her campaign at this week’s Hong Kong Open.
– China: Nadal takes hope despite Djokovic defeat
– Japan: Wawrinka clinches title with rout of Paire
– INSIDE STORY: Kuwait grand plan for tennis
The physically imposing Muguruza downed Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-4 in Beijing on Sunday to win the biggest title of her career. Afterwards, she said she had designs on becoming world No1.
After the disappointment of losing at Wimbledon, Muguruza linked up with coach French Sam Sumyk on a trial basis. With the Spaniard 10-2 overall in her matches in Asia, she believes the partnership with Viktoria Azarenka’s former coach is proving an immediate success and a more permanent arrangement is now likely.
She said: “Now everything can be only worse! “I’m really happy with how we’re working together. We’ll sit together after these Asia tournaments and we’ll talk about what we’re going to do.
“For sure I’m happy the way we’re working. I think he’s a very professional guy. He knows what it takes to be there. This is very important for me, to have somebody who knows what I have to do and what I don’t have to do. Let’s see. It’s not official, but let’s see what happens.”
.@GarbiMuguruza voted September’s #WTA Rising Star of the Month–> http://t.co/YM2vu7QpPf pic.twitter.com/B66A983fcQ
— WTA (@WTA) October 9, 2015
Muguruza, who has also qualified for the year-ending WTA Finals in Singapore later this month, has dropped out of the Hong Kong Open with an ankle injury – clearing a big obstacle for Williams.
She is currently 11th in the wide-open Road to Singapore rankings, but she still has a chance of reaching the eight-player season finale.
“The field is really deep, there’s a lot of top players but I feel like I have a good opportunity,” Williams said ahead of her first-round match against Ukrainian lucky loser
Yuliya Beygelzimer.
