Belinda Bencic ends Serena Williams at National Bank Open

Belinda Bencic clenches her fist during her second round match against Serena Williams at the National Bank Open. 

Belinda Bencic stayed focused and let her tennis game speak loudly at the National Bank Open Wednesday night. In just her second win over Serena Williams, the 25-year-old bested the former world number one in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 on center court at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto.

The American won her first match since the third round of the 2021 French Open defeating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz on center court two nights ago. It came on the same day she announced her upcoming retirement, but for the 40-year-old, she still had a competition to partake in. She last faced Bencic in 2019, where she won in three sets, marking her third against the Swiss. The 12th seed notched a single victory against Williams that led to her first major title in 2016. With the chance to get another one, the 25-year-old saved up strength after her opening round win to prepare for this moment in Toronto.

Williams opened with a service hold yet faced challenges from the Swiss. When Bencic got her chance, she moved the ball around to get the American off the mark and lock her end down. An opportunity for Bencic came to fruition when Williams double-faulted twice during her service. It handed the 12th seed three break points when the second double fault from the 40-year-old capped it.

Bencic followed it up with a comfortable serve to love, notching ten straight points against the former world number one. While the crowd tried to give Williams support, Bencic took her time to hit the shots back and gain breakpoints. The American overcame a 40-15 deficit, forcing deuce and ending Bencic’s winning streak. By the sixth game, the 12th seed had a two-game buffer on the 40-year-old, who didn’t have consistency working in her favor.

In the seventh, the Swiss star perfectly blocked a body shot from Williams, scoring on a return winner she wasn’t set up to respond to. The 25-year-old’s footwork was a key play in her success against the American, who flopped her final shot into the net. With a chance to serve for the set, Bencic earned free points on errors by Williams to achieve set point. On her first attempt, the rally got dicey, leading Williams to smash a net-front winner for deuce. Bencic knew she had the leverage to get out of trouble and, after four breaks, an easy finish awarded her the first in 42 minutes.

Williams served to begin the second set and earned applause from the crowd with a strong service hold. Bencic followed it up with her consistent timing and forehand repertoire that answered the American. Williams added another service game that was a positive feeling for her supporters in the stands, leading the 12th seed Swiss. Bencic responded with blistering winners that quickly made it two-all, wanting the momentum back.

A serve to love from Williams showed an increase in her offense as she continued to lead Bencic. Six games were held between the two, but in the seventh, errors from Williams handed the Swiss star breakpoints leading to a double fault that gave her the lead. With the break in hand, the 12th seed was given free points on errant returns and a 5-3 stance. Williams wasn’t going down without a fight and hit big shots that forced errors from Bencic. She capped a fourth win in the set but had to stave off the Swiss, who served for the match.

Long balls from the American helped Bencic get two match points in the tenth leaving Bencic to watch another long ball fall right in front of her and clinch the victory in 1 hour and 19 minutes. With another huge moment in her career, the Swiss goes on to match against Garbine Muguruza in the round of 16. 

Garbine Muguruza gets important win at National Bank Open over Kaia Kanepi

Garbine Muguruza was in fine form under pressure at the National Bank Open Wednesday night. In her first match after 40 days, the Spaniard did work to stay ahead of Kaia Kanepi in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 on National Bank Grandstand.

The Spaniard met against the Estonian for the third time and second this season. It was at Roland Garros that the 37-year-old bested the former world number one in the opening round. Muguruza suffered further losses in the early rounds of Berlin, Eastbourne, and Wimbledon. Having not played since June 29th, the Spaniard faced a difficult position against the veteran, who got an early pass due to Naomi Osaka’s retirement Monday. After a solid run in Washington, where she made it to the final there, Kanepi was prepped for handling the eighth seed.

The 37-year-old started by watching Muguruza run through her service game before suffering a break from her end. The Spaniard backed it up for a 3-0 lead, in hopes that this wasn’t all that came on the day. Errors put her down 0-40 in the fourth, but she fought back to force deuce. Not wanting to drop another service, Kanepi gained the AD point and locked down the service with a game-winner.

Muguruza kept her own game in check and held the fifth before watching Kanepi gain comfort. Though she gave up two points, the Estonian held serve and broke the eighth seed with two breakpoint chances. The 37-year-old backed up the break with a strong response on serve that leveled the score at four-all. With all the ground lost, Muguruza made sure to regain the lead at the business end of the first and pressure Kanepi to hand it to her.

The tenth was a tug of war, but after five points played, Muguruza achieved set point for the break and captured the set in 51 minutes. The two played evenly with winners and unforced errors committed, but the second serve of the Estonian let her down in critical moments.

Wanting a better turnout, Kanepi pulled off a break to start the second set and backed it up with a break from the Spaniard. Muguruza held to love in the third but was suddenly shut out by Kanepi in the fourth. It set the bar for Muguruza to better her offense and proved so with a 3-2 lead from the service. Kanepi was following suit on holds of service when the two closed in on the end of the second set. Muguruza continued to hold serve in the ninth, leaving the Estonian to match or press on.

The 37-year-old felt the pressure as she fell behind on serve in the tenth, handing the win to the Spaniard, who earned the final break in 1 hour and 33 minutes. With a tough opponent out of her way, the 28-year-old could dig in for another battle, facing Belinda Bencic in the round of 16.

Alison Riske edges Jelena Ostapenko in three sets for the upset

Alison Riske clenches her fist during a second round match with Jelena Ostapenko at the National Bank Open.  

Alison Riske fought from behind and in the lead to come through at the National Bank Open Wednesday. The American battled Jelena Ostapenko through lead change after lead change until she came through in a 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-5 score on Court One at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto. It marked her first series win against the 16th seed, who had the strength but double faults broke it apart.

The Latvian marked her third win in Toronto after defeating Kalinina for the third time in her career. Cutting the second set short against the Ukrainian gave her enough energy to store for a tough match with the American. Riske went the full length with Petra Kvitova, who has bested Ostapenko five times but didn’t get a chance this time. The 32-year-old earned her right for a third chance against the 16th seed, in hopes of notching a win. Both of their previous battles came on the hard surface, leaving either one open to enter the round of 16.

Ostapenko stumbled on the first two points but found her forehand to record easy winners on Riske and hold. The American didn’t have the best performance on serve but did manage to secure the second game. The Latvian kept her pace in check and made work of the third game before capitalizing on her opponent. Carrying the momentum, the 25-year-old relentlessly found the lines on her returns, earning the break and a 3-1 lead.

Ostapenko suffered a second double fault in her attempt to back up the break. The mistake opened the door for Riske to try and break back, but the 16th seed reeled in the problem. On the second break of deuce, Ostapenko got comfortably into the rally, swung the forehand crosscourt, and awarded herself a three-game streak. The tables turned for the American, who held serve and broke her opponent to love in the seventh to sit a game down.

Riske eyed a chance to level the score, but her 40-0 grip loosened when Ostapenko tallied three return winners to force deuce. She drove herself from being down in the game to conducting the remainder of it for a 5-3 stand. Ostapenko served for the set but notched her third double fault to start. It opened the door for Riske to get out front and break the 16th seed.

Sitting one game from extending the set, the American held her end, only to see Ostapenko take the lead back at 6-5. Riske didn’t let her game come apart and kept the fight on in the 12th, where she successfully held to force a tiebreak. The American opened the scoring with a minibreak before finding herself up 3-0. It was frustrating for the Latvian, who had a lot of work to do, to come back from the deficit.

It was too late for the 16th seed, who fell too far behind, watching the set slip away in 58 minutes in favor of the American. It was a topsy-turvy battle between the two, but at the business end, Riske pulled off the comeback. When the second got underway, Ostapenko was in front again, trying to take charge on the court. She scored the double break on the American, who had some issues with the service.

It was a momentum cruise for the 16th seed, who quickly took a 4-0 lead in hopes that she could lock up a tie. The American threatened in the fifth, but Ostapenko put the brake on her opponent’s effort and held to remain in command. Serving for a shutout, the Latvian committed back-to-back double faults but was then gifted a long return from Riske, ending the set in 25 minutes.

For the first time in the match, Riske held the opening game of the set, hoping to get on the right path. The American defended well to earn a break from the Latvian, who was showing frustration to her support. In the third, she dug in patiently, only to see Riske score two aces in a row. Ostapenko answered with a winner on the first break of deuce, leading to a bad double fault from Riske.

The loss of service for the 32-year-old led to a tie for the Latvian, who didn’t take the fourth game by any ease. The American denied her opponent from getting another one, holding Ostapenko to love in the fifth to regain the lead. The 25-year-old’s shots were going wide during the last few games, leaving her in a vulnerable position. Mistakes from the American made it three-all as neither player had a sense of great control over the other.

Riske held to step out ahead of Ostapenko, who had a mixed bag of shots that included her eighth double fault and a couple of winners. It somehow got her to deuce with Riske, but the effort was long-lasting. The American earned chances to break but couldn’t get over the line. Both players battled through 17 points and six breaks until Ostapenko held to keep on Riske’s tail.

After six holds of serve, the American was back in the lead during the business end of the deciding set. Ostapenko felt the extra pressure as she served to stay in the competition in the 10th. A huge slice of luck in the form of a lob gave Riske the early lead, but Ostapenko’s returns helped her regain patience and the lead back. A third ace from the Latvian put her in reach of game point, which she accomplished on an error from Riske into the net.

The set was going the distance with a five-all situation and Riske back on serve. The American held strong in the 11th, sitting one game from an upset. It was back in the hands of the Latvian, who lost the first pair of points on serve. Riske gave up one, but a ninth double fault brought up match point. A short rally ended with Ostapenko fore handing a shot into the net, bringing an end to a dramatic fight in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Belinda Bencic handles Tereza Martincova in straight sets at National Bank Open

Belinda Bencic waves to the crowd after her straight sets win over Tereza Martincova at the National Bank Open. 

Belinda Bencic comfortably took care of business at the National Bank Open Tuesday. She notched 23 winners in a solid performance against Tereza Martincova, winning 6-4, 6-2 on National Bank Court at Sobeys Stadium.

The Swiss owned the series with four wins against the Czech. She went over a month without a single match played, leaving her hungry for action on the hard courts. Martincova got two under her belt at Washington before being ousted and into fighting for a place in Toronto. With the withdrawal of Victoria Azarenka, the 27-year-old gained her place in the draw, hoping for a better outcome against her rival.

She opened the match with two quick points before Bencic got to scoring. After reaching 40-30, Martincova sealed the win to start things right. The 12th seed made quick work of her service game, but so did the Czech, who sped much faster in her second service game on the court. Seeing that her opponent was playing well, Bencic put her offense into another gear and leveled the score at two-all through four games. In the fifth, she returned fiercely, which earned her the break and a chance to back it up.

The 25-year-old accomplished a 4-2 grip on Martincova, who was seeing a major shift in momentum. She put a halt to it, holding in the seventh, but Bencic was still on a great pace from her side of the court. She easily capped the eighth game, hunting to bring an end to the set with Martincova back on the hot seat. Unforced errors were rolling up for the Czech, who gifted Bencic three set points.

One was saved on only the Swiss’s second error of the set, but more came from the 25-year-old that brought up deuce. The pressure increased for Bencic, who blew four set points, handing Martincova chances to sit a game down. After four breaks, the Czech succeeded on serve, leaving Bencic irate. She pulled off three straight points, blowing two more before putting the set to bed after 36 minutes. Bencic’s points won on first and second serves were high compared to Martincova.

In the second set, Bencic fired on all cylinders to take a 2-0 lead on the Czech, who struggled to regroup her game. In her second attempt to dig in, Martincova trailed on the scoreboard and inevitably handed her opponent the double break. The Swiss backed up the break, fighting back the Czech off on deuce to gain the AD point, and keep it. The 27-year-old denied her opponent a chance for the triple, securing a victory herself.

She kept the fight up, going after Bencic’s service in the sixth to force deuce. Despite two chances to break the 12th seed, Martincova fell 1-5, putting Bencic in play to go for the match. The 27-year-old held serve in the seventh, but with Bencic back on serve, she needed more to go right. A trickle return over the net from Bencic was a bad beat for the Czech, who soon saw her tournament conclude. Reaching two match points, the 12th seed fired a second straight ace down the T to move on after 1 hour and 15 minutes.   

While she added her fifth win against Martincova, the path forward took a swing of difficulty as Serena Williams stood in her way going into the second round.

Jelena Ostapenko marks strong win in straight sets at WTA 1000 Toronto

Jelena Ostapenko found charge in her first round match at the National Bank Open in Toronto. 

Jelena Ostapenko had a couple of ups and down but took control during the critical moments at the National Bank Open Monday. Anhelina Kalinina rattled her own game to pieces while being challenged by the 16th seed in a 6-4, 6-2 score on Court 1 at Sobeys Stadium at York University.

The Latvian was ready to restart the hard court season after less than expected results during the grass court run. With an unsuccessful defense at Eastbourne and being kicked out of Wimbledon in the fourth round, the 25-year-old eyed an easy start in Toronto. Despite having a 2-0 series lead against the Ukrainian, her 2-5 record in Canada didn’t stand up to expectations. Coming back to the tournament for the first time in three years, Ostapenko hopes she could settle her ways and be back in the hunt like she was earlier this year.

Ostapenko opened the match with two double faults between points but managed to hold serve. It wasn’t an easy start for Kalinina, who had a tough challenge from the 16th seed. The players went to deuce until an error from Ostapenko on the second break evened the score. Both struggled with their respective offense, notching double faults but held serve through the next two games.

They both notched back-to-back holds of serve, but reaching the business end of the first set for Ostapenko was her time to strike. After clinching the ninth game, the Latvian was laser focused while Kalinina notched several double faults on serve. It gave way to an easy finish of the first set that lasted 43 minutes.

The 16th seed brought the best of her offense to start the second set, landing an ace and lobbing easy point wins across the net. Despite losing the chance for a shutout, Ostapenko held with a sliced crosscourt that didn’t come back. The Latvian took a comfortable 2-0 lead, playing comfortably on the court. Backing up the break almost fell apart for Ostapenko, but saving a breakpoint from Kalinina got her to deuce and in position to secure the game. The Ukrainian found a way to get onto the scoreboard, making her shots hard for Ostapenko to return.

Kalinina got back on track with a heavy break of the 16th seed, gaining lost ground to sit a game behind. Knowing that her opponent was pressuring her on the scoreboard, Ostapenko claimed a critical break back that put her two games up and a chance to serve for a wider gap. She quickly dispatched Kalinina in the seventh, adding nerves to the Ukrainian. On serve to stay in contention, she lost the first pair of points as the Latvian responded well on returns.

She gained two points herself and then reached game point. Ostapenko forced deuce with a blistering backhand crosscourt and reached match point on a gifted error. Kalinina’s 11th double fault of the match took her out of the tournament, handing Ostapenko the victory in 1 hour and 13 minutes.

Ostapenko tallied 26 of 32 points from the first serve and saved five of six breakpoints against the Ukrainian. Despite troubles from her second serve, the points won changed up the pace of scoring and gave her a great start. She would need everything to go right in the second round when she faces the winner between Alison Riske or Petra Kvitova.

Victoria Azarenka notches another win at Citi Open

Victoria Azarenka gives the crowd a wave of thanks after her two set match with Tereza Martincova at the Citi Open. 

Victoria Azarenka faced challenges on the court but came through at the Citi Open Friday. Tereza Martincova gave it her all in the delayed round of 16 matchup but fell in a 7-6(7), 6-2 score on Grandstand Court at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.

In a victory over Dayana Yastremska Monday, the fourth seed takes on the Czech for the second time and the first since the US Open last year. Azarenka managed to blank Martincova similarly as the Ukrainian, hoping that she had the same results and move into the quarterfinal. The 27-year-old came into Washington with a 1-9 first-round record in her last ten tournaments. The match against Xinyu Wang took Martincova over two hours to defeat the Chinese star. Earning two days off gave her time to recover as she planned to give it her all and level the series with the former world number one.

Martincova opened service and battled Azarenka through every point. The 33-year-old forced deuce and fought hard to produce an AD point. All three achieved went the way of the Czech, who managed to save face and be out on top in the opening game. Azarenka had a rusty start that led Martincova to achieve the break and a 2-0 lead. The fourth seed recovered, drawing errors from the Czech to break back in the third.

Azarenka backed up her lone win with a service hold that leveled the score despite some issues that she expressed verbally. The next two games saw each of them contain service, but in the seventh, Martincova was up 40-0. Azarenka saved two game points but was cut short of forcing deuce. Azarenka put together the best game of the set, charging shots hard at the Czech, who struggled to keep up.

With the score tied, Martincova finally achieved an easy service to love against the former world number one, setting up a chance to break and take the first. Azarenka refused to give in and started the tenth with some big point wins against the Czech. A double fault and an error hindered her chance to secure the serve. She fought back to gain the AD point, watching Martincova fail to get the ball back across the court.

The 11th game was a tug of war for control as neither wanted to be trailing going into the last game of the set. Martincova tried to close it at 40-30, but the 33-year-old forced long drawn out deuce. Both players spanned six breaks, with Azarenka finding chances through half of them, but on the final point, it was the Czech securing the service. The fourth seed held her end to bring up a tiebreak, but Martincova was still out in front.

An ace for Azarenka made it three-all and her moment to sit in front of Martincova. It was a short-lived moment for the former world number one, as she found herself close to the Czech through the next five points played. On her first set point attempt, Azarenka suffered a tough break from Martincova, who made a statement on a winner.

With the score tied, they continued until a lob from the fourth seed had the 27-year-old on the ropes. On a second set point attempt, Azarenka clinched the first with a crosscourt winner that capped her lead after an 80-minute battle. Both players combined for eight double faults, with Azarenka recording five. The 33-year-old won 73 percent of points from the first serve, indicating she had enough strength to fight on.

The second went the way of the 33-year-old, who opened scoring with Martincova on her tail. Once the game point was at hand for Azarenka, the fourth seed capped the game and went right into the second, breaking Martincova late. She had the Czech pinned down while she backed up the break for a 3-0 lead, following the same route two days ago. Azarenka soon had a commanding 4-0 run on Martincova, who couldn’t find her way across the fourth seed.

In the fifth, the 27-year-old dug in against the service of Azarenka but watched her opponent force deuce. Despite the missed opportunity, Martincova battled to break the fourth seed and get on the board. She held serve, splitting Azarenka’s lead in the sixth. The loss of two games didn’t break the spirit of the 33-year-old, who was determined to cross the finish line and enter the quarterfinal. Winning the seventh game was huge for the fourth seed, getting the job done on serve to pressure the Czech.

Martincova carried the lead in the eighth but was forced to deuce by the 33-year-old. They went through four breaks where the 27-year-old saved two match points. She continued to gain AD points, but a low fast winner from Azarenka brought it back to deuce. A forehand return painted the baseline for a third match point that went into the net during the final rally ending a two-hour fight.

Despite so much effort put in to her day, she guaranteed herself another aganst Xinyu wang for a spot in the semifinal. All depended on whether the weather would hold up enough for them to get into action or face a potential doublheader Saturday. 

Azarenka flies to win maiden Citi Open match

Victoria Azarenka was all smiles after her first match since May, defeating Dayana Yastremska at the Citi Open Tuesday. 

Victoria Azarenka opened her first visit to the Citi Open with a landslide victory Tuesday afternoon. The fourth seed kept her composure and an offense that defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-0 on John Harris Court at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center. The Ukrainian left herself no chance to come back with seven double faults and 42 unforced errors that ended the scoring gap by 24 points.

The two met in Toronto in 2019, where the young Ukrainian etched her first win against the former world number one. In five of the last six tournaments played, Yastremska hasn’t made it out of the first round. She hasn’t made an impact during any US run but felt that her time might come in the nation’s capital.

Azarenka wasn’t allowed to play at Wimbledon and decided to focus on her hard court favoritism and skip the entirety of grass court action. It was her first visit to Washington DC, and the first match played since May. The 33-year-old was ready for a strong start just two weeks before going to the Western and Southern Open.

She was gifted an easy reception by Yastremska, who erred early during her service. She nearly gave Azarenka a break to love, but two long balls from the fourth seed put her halfway from deuce. The Ukrainian earned a chance to secure the service, but a double fault handed the 33-year-old the lead. She consolidated the break with ease on serve, but couldn’t score the double break on the 22-year-old.

Yastremska was happy to get into play on the court and move alongside Azarenka, who had a 3-1 lead. The Ukrainian notched another hold of serve in the fifth before opening the sixth with a break to love chance. The fourth seed had a lot of trouble on serve but somehow climbed back to deuce. They played three breaks where on the fourth breakpoint chance for the Ukrainian, a huge effort from her leveled the score at three each.

Azarenka pushed hard to break Yastremska for the lead back, but the Ukrainian kept it level with a break back. She wanted to be in front for the first time in the set, but the fourth seed wouldn’t have it. Azarenka forced deuce, gaining the breakpoint in turn. It was another double fault from Yastremska that handed the 33-year-old the double break.

With her chance to serve for the set, the fourth seed forced errors from the Ukrainian, reaching set point at 40-30. A long ball brought the 22-year-old to deuce, but the leverage remained with her opponent. Azarenka forced one final error off the Ukrainian to put the set to rest in 52 minutes. Both players combined for seven double faults, but winning points from the service was in favor of the fourth seed, who notched 68 percent from the first serve and won four of six breakpoints.

The fourth seed waited for Yastremska to return from a bathroom break, and when she did, the 33-year-old broke her to love. Azarenka backed up the break, with a service hold, and broke the 22-year-old again in the third. Through the next two games, it was Azarenka’s show on the court, taking a commanding 5-0 run while Yastremska added her seventh double fault in turn. Serving for the match, the fourth seed coasted to victory, with the Ukrainian out of sorts. Azarenka watched her opponent hit one at the net and watched it land behind the baseline ending 1 hour and 27 minutes.

After a great output in front of a new crowd, the 33-year-old looked forward to her next match against the winner between Tereza Martincova and Xinyu Wang in the round of 16.