Martina Navratilova Credits Conchita Martinez for Muguruza Turnaround

18 time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova says Conchita Martinez has helped turn Spain's Garbine Muguruza regain her champion's mentality on court, in a column for the WTA website. Muguruza is through to the final in Melbourne where she will meet American Sofia Kenin on Saturday.

Martina writes, "Muguruza has regained her champion's mentality, which has brought her to the Australian Open final against Sofia Kenin, which will also be the Spaniard's first Grand Slam final since winning Wimbledon in 2017. How has she turned her tennis around? I have two words for you: Conchita Martínez. Outside the Top 30, and unseeded at Melbourne Park, Muguruza is now just one match away from winning the Australian Open for the first time, and the biggest reason for that is because she reunited with Martínez during the off-season.  Martínez, who is herself a former Grand Slam champion, has the magic touch with Muguruza. She brings out the champion in Muguruza.  You might recall that it was Martínez who helped Muguruza to win Wimbledon two-and-a-half years ago. Sam Sumyk, who was then Muguruza's regular coach, didn't travel to London for personal reasons, so Martínez took over. I'll always remember how Muguruza was a totally different looking player that fortnight. She was so relaxed, and everything was flowing freely on the court. Muguruza was walking like a champion, acting like a champion, and playing like a champion. After that Wimbledon run, though, I felt as though she often looked scared on the court. But now Muguruza and Martínez are working together again and the transformation is quite remarkable."

Navratilova says that Muguruza also does not feel any pressure from Martinez, which has helped the Spaniard. "Most importantly of all, Muguruza doesn't feel any additional pressure from Martínez. The message seems to be: "Go out and play. Have fun. Show them how well you can play." Rather than: "Oh gosh, you need to do this and you need to do that." I think before there was maybe too much strategy as well as pressure, and not enough instinct and just playing and feeling the game. No one predicted that the first Grand Slam final of the year would be contested by Muguruza and Kenin, who will be making a first appearance in a match of this magnitude. Kenin probably didn't see it happening either, at least not yet. But the two of them have made it through and kudos to both women."

On the final, Martina says that she thinks Muguruza is the favourite, "You have to go with Muguruza as the favourite to take the opening major of the year. She has bigger weapons. She's moving beautifully so she's playing really great defense, which wasn't a strength before. She's got amazing offense. She's big at the net. She's got a bigger serve and bigger groundstrokes.  Kenin moves a little better than Muguruza but it's hard to find openings against Muguruza. And then as soon as Muguruza can, she goes for it and puts herself in the attacking mode. The match is on her racket. It's hers to win or lose, but she will have to play her best tennis to lift that trophy because Kenin isn't going to beat herself. Muguruza is going to have to earn it."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2GIh0Xp