Next spotless in Melbourne
Bencic storms into the round of 16
Next sovereign performance by Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open. The Swiss moves into the round of 16 without losing a set.
Published: 3 minutes ago
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Updated: 2 minutes ago
1/5
Belinda Bencic is unstoppable in Melbourne.
With a successful third appearance at the Australian Open, Belinda Bencic (WTA 10) confirms that she is rightly one of the title contenders in Melbourne. She doesn’t give Camila Giorgi (WTA 70) a chance with 6: 2, 7: 5.
Bencic is just five minutes behind the Italian. After that, the 25-year-old Swiss usually controls her opponent, who is six years her senior. In the second set, Bencic always leads, although the Italian is allowed to serve first again. If there is a blemish in their 100-minute third appearance, it is that Bencic gives up the serve twice in the second set and gambles away a 5-3 lead.
Superior in almost every respect
But Bencic is superior to her opponent in almost every respect. She serves less hard than Giorgi, but much more placed (19:14 direct points with the service). The Swiss make fewer mistakes. And Giorgi only gains advantages in long rallies. But that’s not much use if only 10 rallies out of 132 points take a little longer (more than nine shots).
All results from the Australian Open
The first tennis highlight is coming up in Melbourne: Click here for an overview of the results of the Australian Open.
The first tennis highlight is coming up in Melbourne: Click here for an overview of the results of the Australian Open.
Giorgi is certainly not an opponent to be taken lightly. She fits perfectly into the profile of those players who have stood in Bencic’s way in major tournaments in the past. Giorgi was already in the top 30, she won the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal a year and a half ago, and she’s beaten 16 top 10 players in her career.
Now the number 5 is waiting
Bencic, who returned to the top ten this week after 15 months, is in the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2021 US Open. At that time, as the newly crowned Olympic champion, she was also one of the favorites. In New York she defeated Jessie Pegula (3rd round), Iga Swiatek (round of 16) and lost in the quarterfinals against British Emma Raducanu 3:6, 4:6, who then sensationally won the tournament as world number 150.
At the Australian Open she has only reached the round of 16 once – in 2016. Now Aryna Sabalenka (WTA 5) is waiting there on Monday. The Belarusian easily prevailed against the Belgian Elise Mertens (WTA 32) 6: 2, 6: 3. Bencic won the last duel on the way to winning the tournament in Dubai four years ago against Sabalenka (1-1 record). (bir/sda)