Adelaide International: Belinda Bencic sets final appointment with Iga Swiatek

Belinda Bencic and Iga Swiatek will play the final of the Adelaide International on Saturday after winning their respective semi-finals on Friday.

In the first semi-final, the fifth-seeded Swiatek defeated Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 21 minutes. Swiatek hit 17 winners and 12 unforced errors in the match while Teichmann finished with 15 winners and 20 unforced errors.

Adelaide International: The start of the Iga Swiatek-Belinda Bencic rivalry

Speaking with the media after her win, the Pole said, “It was my goal from the beginning of the season, I want to be [a] more consistent player, just play good week by week. I know it's impossible sometimes. You're just going to get tired at some point. But I felt pretty good from the beginning of the tournament. It's really important for me. Just I feel that it's going to be easier year by year because I'm going to be, like, more grown-up, I'm going to be able to physically and mentally handle tournaments every week. It was my goal, so I'm pretty happy everything worked here. Hopefully other WTA tournaments I'm going to be able to do that also.”

After her win, Swiatek also extended her unbeaten streak in the semi-finals to 3-0. This is also Swiatek’s third career final. In her two previous finals, Swiatek won one – at the 2020 French Open – and lost the other – at the 2019 Lugano International.

Swiatek’s opponent in the final, Bencic survived a feisty showing from Coco Gauff to reach her 11th career final, and her first since 2019. Bencic won 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-1 in a little over two-and-a-half hours.

The Swiss second seed went down an early break in the opening set and trailed the American 4-1 before turning around the set and claiming it in a one-sided tie-break. Buoyed by the momentum of her first-set comeback, Bencic raced away in the second set and even had a match point to close out the match in straight sets. However, Gauff, who had been making comebacks of her own all through this week, looked like she would be making yet another of those as she saved the match point and claimed the second set tie-break to bring the match to parity. But the teenager’s attempt was short-lived as Bencic stormed through the proceedings in the third set to wrap up the win.

The Adelaide International final between Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic will be the first meeting between the two players.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3sAXp1n