Australian Open 2016: Garbine Muguruza eyes first Grand Slam title
Sunday 17 January 2016 14:52, UK
Garbine Muguruza says she is keeping her feet firmly on the ground ahead of the Australian Open, following a watershed 2015.
The 22-year-old Venezuelan-born Spaniard won her second career title last year, advanced to her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and moved up the rankings to a career-best third in the world.
She also made the semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Championships in Singapore.
Muguruza admits being flattered and not burdened by talk that she has what it takes to succeed Serena Williams as the next big thing in women's tennis.
"Every time I hear (it) I'm like 'puhhhhh, yeah, whatever'. I really don't know what to say. I feel good when people think that I can do it, but I'm like, 'yeah, we'll see'," she told Sunday's Melbourne Age newspaper.
Muguruza is now under the guidance of coach Sam Sumyk, who helped Victoria Azarenka to the top of the women's game and successive Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013.
But her chances of doing so at Melbourne Park this month have not been helped by a lack of court time so far in 2016.
Muguruza withdrew from her first match in Brisbane with a long standing foot injury, that she said was at best being managed, but she said all was now fine ahead of Tuesday's match against Estonia's Anett Kontaveit.
"My foot is good," she said. "I had time to recover from Brisbane. I needed a couple of days to rest. Yeah, it's improving."
Asked whether she feels this could be her year to win a major, she replied: "Well, I don't know.
"I've been working and practising for that. I was motivated to do it. That's my dream, obviously, but there are 128 players that want the same, so let's see how far I can get."
We will bring you all the news, views and reaction from the Australian Open starting on Monday.
