20-year-old talent Diana Shnaider could be "destined for the top-five" having achieved a career-high ranking of world No.12 after winning the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.
Shnaider dismantled Britain's Katie Boulter 6-1 6-2 in the final, only conceding one set throughout the week.
Commentator and tennis expert Brett Phillips spoke on Monday night's radio edition of The First Serve, sharing his enthusiasm about a potential star in the making.
"I tell you what, this player is so compelling," Phillips said when referring to Shnaider. "I've been watching her all year, and when she first came on tour with that distinctive look with the bandana, you thought, 'Who is this player?'"
"What a year she's had to win four WTA titles, [from] outside [the top] 100 to inside [top] 20.
"If you're getting tickets to the Australian summer of tennis wherever she's going to be pre-Australian Open, I think she's one you get courtside for. She plays the game beautifully, she does it with a smile, she engages with the crowd and her game absolutely stacks up."
Her other three titles in 2024 have been claimed in Hungary, Germany and Thailand, on top of a 125k event in Paris.
Hong Kong tournament director Peter Johnston was full of praise for the energetic talent.
"She's amazing, and she's only 20-years-old. In the semis, she beat Leylah Fernandez so easily and then beat Katie Boulter one and two," Johnston said on The First Serve's radio show.
"I said to her at the end, 'Look, the defending champion is meant to come back [to the tournament next year], but I think you're going to be in Riyadh next year [for the WTA Finals].
"At her age with all of the upside, she's destined for top-five."
The Russian has won 55 of her 78 matches this year, helping her skyrocket towards a likely top-10 berth sooner rather than later.
"Shnaider is an absolute standout in women's tennis," one fan texted to The First Serve.
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