Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Photo by Getty Images (WTA)

This week’s Hong Kong Open has been dealt another major blow with the withdrawal of top seeded Garbine Muguruza just hours after the Spaniard won the China Open title in Beijing.

The Hong Kong organizers were determined to host a strong tournament after the event was reinstated after an 11 year gap in 2014 but in recent weeks notable contestants such as former world no.1 Victoria Azarenka and Eugenie Bouchard reluctantly had to pull out with injuries.

Now the new world no.4 Muguruza has followed suit, citing a troublesome ankle that requires rest before the WTA Finals begin in Singapore in less than a fortnight’s time. The 22 year-old is just one ranking point behind current no.3 Maria Sharapova and the Beijing title, a Premier Mandatory event, is by far the biggest of her career.

Muguruza has maintained an arduous schedule in Asia after previously reaching the final in Wuhan and said: “‘I am really happy. A lot of things have been going on, but that’s good to be able to live this.”

She beat Timea Bacsinzky of Switzerland 7-5, 6-4 and continued: “It was a very tough start to the match. I was really nervous because I came from the final of Wuhan thinking  “come on, I want to win this one so much.”

“I have to calm down now and really think about it because it’s a big achievement. Now I’m able to rest for a couple of days and really think about what I’ve done and what I did good and not good to learn.”

Wimbledon runner-up Muguruza had already sealed her place in Singapore several days earlier. “Definitely it’s a big achievement,” she enthused. “I think 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. It feels good. It feels that you’re doing your things in a right way.”

Muguruza is clearly very content with the coaching relationship she is establishing with Sam Sumyk who previously worked with both Azarenka and Bouchard.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.