"I felt privileged to have faced Venus," says Bouzas Maneiro after her first-round victory in Cincinnati

Coming off a quarterfinal run at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal in recent days, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro continues her momentum in Cincinnati. Riding high after also reaching the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, the 22-year-old Spaniard, ranked 42nd in the world, defeated 45-year-old Venus Williams (6-4, 6-4).

Bouzas Maneiro will now face Leylah Fernandez for a spot in the Round of 32. Speaking at a press conference, the young player reflected on the experience of facing one of the Williams sisters.

"I never would have imagined something like this in my life. For me, it seemed impossible to be on the same court as one of the Williams sisters, but it actually happened.

My coach and I have a game where we try to guess who my next opponent will be. When they told me Venus (Williams)'s age, I never would have guessed it! I thought to myself, ‘Is this really happening?’

Honestly, it was an amazing surprise. If you stop and think about it, you quickly realize you won’t get many opportunities like this again.

I felt privileged to have faced Venus, and to end up winning the match makes it even more special for me," Bouzas Maneiro told *Punto de Break* after her victory over the American champion.