Muguruza withdraws from Hong Kong Open due to ankle problem

REUTERS – Spanish world number four Garbine Muguruza has withdrawn from this week’s Hong Kong Open due to a lingering ankle injury, organisers said on Monday.

Muguruza, who turned 22 last week, claimed the biggest title of her fledgling career by beating Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky 7-5 6-4 on Sunday to win the China Open, rising to fourth in the rankings, a point behind third-placed Russian Maria Sharapova.

“Muguruza suffered a left ankle injury while playing in the Wuhan Open at the beginning of October,” Hong Kong organisers said on the tournament website (www.hktennisopen.hk).

“The Spaniard … will now rest the injury ahead of a likely appearance at the season-ending WTA Finals beginning on Oct. 25,” they added.

Muguruza’s run to the final in Wuhan, where she lost to Venus Williams, and her success in Beijing meant she reached finals in back-to-back weeks for the first time.

Her withdrawal in Hong Kong follows those of Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, Eugenie Bouchard of Canada and Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, who are also injured.

(Writing by Iain Rogers, editing by Amlan Chakraborty)