SHARE
COPY LINK
WIMBLEDON 2015

BELINDA BENCIC

Bencic seeks Eastbourne bounce at Wimbledon

Swiss teenage sensation Belinda Bencic will be looking on Monday for a bounce from her weekend victory at the Eastbourne International tournament in England as she plays in the first round of Wimbledon.

Bencic seeks Eastbourne bounce at Wimbledon
Photo: AFP

Bencic, 18, clinched her maiden title on Saturday while denying ninth-seeded Pole and 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska a second title at Devonshire Park on the English south coast in a contest that lasted over two hours.

Bencic defeated Radwanska 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.



The native of Flawil in the canton of Saint Gallen was playing in the third final of her career.



She was beaten this month in a grass-court final in the Netherlands by Italian Camila Giorgi.


Bencic got away to an untouchable treble break on Saturday in the third set for 5-0 as she finished the job against the 2008 Eastbourne champion with a forehand winner to the corner.

On Monday, she is matched against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova at Wimbeldon’s court 18, starting at around 3pm.

Described by some as Switzerland's new ” Martina Hingis”, she has been coached for several years by Hingis' mother, Melanie Molitor.

Bencic, who made her debut at Wimbledon last year, was knocked out in the second round.

Now ranked 21st in the world, she is hoping to better that performance but is careful not raise hopes.

“I have nothing to prove at Wimbledon,” she told reporters.

“I just want to play relaxed and be satisfied with the results.”

Hingis, who began as a teen sensation and went on to win five Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, will return to the courts southeast of London in doubles competition.

At the age of 35 she will be seeking a tenth Gland Slam victory in doubles.

Compatriot Stan Wawrinka, currently ranked fourth in the world, also starts his Wimbledon bid on Monday.

The French Open champion will square off against Portuguese João Sousa at central court at around 6pm.

Other Swiss players — Roger Federer, Timea Bacsinszky and Stefanie Vögele — will enter the first round at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Tuesday.  

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

TENNIS

Will Belinda Bencic be the first Swiss woman to win a Grand Slam in 20 years?

No Swiss woman has won a Grand Slam singles title since Martina Hingis captured the 1999 Australian Open, but Belinda Bencic hopes to end that two-decade drought at the US Open.

Will Belinda Bencic be the first Swiss woman to win a Grand Slam in 20 years?
Bencic, seeded 13th, has battled back from 2017 left wrist surgery. Photo: Mike Stobe / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

And with Swiss legend Roger Federer and his three-time Grand Slam-winning countryman Stan Wawrinka ousted in the men's quarter-finals, Bencic has extra motivation entering Thursday's semi-finals at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“This is not a good thing. I'm not happy about this actually,” Bencic said of the Federer and Wawrinka losses. “I'm kind of surprised, like I think everyone is.

“It would be really nice if the boys could also make it to semi-finals but I'm happy I can kind of do it for them and don't let them down.”

This year's showdown at Flushing Meadows is the 83rd Slam since Hingis won the last of her five major singles titles.

Bencic will face Canadian teen 15th seed Bianca Andreescu, a fellow Slam semi debutante, for the first time Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She's trying to become the first Canadian singles Grand Slam champion.

“That would be pretty awesome,” said Andreescu. “If it happens, then I think I can pave way for many other athletes, the next generation, not only for Canadian tennis but I think for many people.”

Ukraine's fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina meets Serena Williams, seeking her 24th Slam title to match Margaret Court's all-time record, in the other semi-final.

Bencic, seeded 13th, has battled back from 2017 left wrist surgery and other injuries that slowed her career for most of two seasons, winning her third WTA title in February at Dubai.

“She likes to be very aggressive,” Andreescu said. “She has a very good serve. She moves pretty well, too.”

The is Bencic's deepest Slam run, surpassing her 2014 US Open debut last-eight appearance, but it comes after having had to battle adversity.

“It's there like a dream always. Even when you are playing bad, you want to come back to this feeling. I think that's the motivation enough to keep going,” Bencic said.

“For sure being number one in the world or winning a Grand Slam is always a dream. But I think it's still a long way to that. Of course, I think you can see it there.

“The work and staying in the moment is more important right now. Just taking it step by step.”

Bencic has tried to stay calm on the court but has found that venting her frustrations can help her focus.

“I'm trying to work on my staying emotionally calm in the matches, but I have no trouble focusing after being angry a little bit,” she said.

“I think sometimes I need to get frustrated. I feel like I let it out. I feel a little bit better after. I start to play better I'm more pumped.”

Teen's best yet to come

Andreescu warns she hasn't reached her peak so far at Flushing Meadows.

“I don't think I've played my best tennis,” she said. “I just fought really well with what I had every single day. I think that's the most important thing for me.

“I just try to play every point like it's the last.”

The Canadian hopes to become the fourth first-time Slam champion in five years to win the US Open women's title.

“All of us dream of this moment ever since we're kids, ever since we picked up a racquet,” she said. “I definitely think I've fought really hard to get to this point, so I think I do deserve to be here and hopefully I can go all the way.”
 

SHOW COMMENTS