Tennis: Belinda Bencic bows out in 8e finale

Belinda Bencic did not sign the feat in 8^e final of the Australian Open. The Saint-Galloise nevertheless raised doubts about the 3^e world player Coco Gauff for a set on Sunday in Melbourne.

The 2021 Olympic champion lost 5-7 6-2 6-1 in 2 hours 26 minutes to the 20-year-old American in the Rod Laver Arena, under a blazing sun. She couldn’t do much after winning a hard-fought first set in just over an hour of play.

Coco Gauff, who had offered the decisive break of the first round to the young mother by committing two double faults in a row to conclude the eleventh game, flew over the debates from the start of the second set. Her time in the locker room may have helped her regain her senses.

She is already competitive

Belinda Bencic (WTA 294) also left the court for a few minutes, after a one-sided second set. But she did not manage to break the rhythm of Coco Gauff, who accumulated 27 winning shots in the last two sets against only two for her opponent.

Unable to get the slightest break point in these last two rounds, Belinda Bencic should quickly be able to forget this failure to remember the essential: she is already competitive, less than nine months after the birth of her daughter Bella and while she has played only 20 matches since his return on October 30.

The 27-year-old Saint-Galloise, who notably released the 22^e world Jelena Ostapenko in Melbourne, will not need to use her protected ranking for long. This 8^e Australian final, his 10^e “only” in a Major, will allow him to find himself around 155^e world square next Monday.

ATS

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

0 comments