Garbine Muguruza has returned to the winner’s circle…
The 22-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan professional tennis player claimed her second career WTA Tour title on Sunday, but not without breaking a sweat.
Muguruza rallied in both sets in the China Open women’s final to defeat Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-4.
Muguruza trailed 5-2 in the opening set before winning five straight games to clinch it, then went down an early break in the second set before coming back yet again.
She’ll rise to a career-high ranking of No. 4 on Monday, while Bacsinszky will break into the top 10 for the first time.
“Definitely it’s a big achievement. I think, you know, to see you are improving, also on the tennis side, but in the rankings, it’s that moment when there’s only three more in front of me,” Muguruza said, smiling. “Three more. Three more.”
Muguruza struggled after her breakthrough performance at Wimbledon—where she reached the finals—losing in the second round of the US Open. But she has played some of her best tennis in the past two weeks. She also reached the final last week in Wuhan, retiring in the second set with a left ankle injury while trailing Venus Williams.
Hours after winning the China Open, Muguruza pulled out of this week’s Hong Kong Open. Organizers said she needed to recover from an ankle problem.
