Tatjana Maria downs Jelena Ostapenko in three set upset at Wimbledon

Tatjana Maria clenches her fist during her round of 16 match with Jelena Ostapenko at the Championships Wimbledon. 

Tatjana Maria pulled off a major victory that continued her best run at the Championships Wimbledon Sunday. As the oldest player left in the ladies' draw, the German played strong through three sets, with Jelena Ostapenko on No. 1 Court winning 5-7, 7-5, 7-5. It broke the Latvian’s 2-0 record at the All England Tennis Club in fourth-round situations.

The two met for the first time in a pivotal moment for the players, with the German making it to the round of 16. The Latvian eyed more than just another semifinal; surpassing the first week was a top priority. The 25-year-old worked hard against Begu, going three sets in that battle. Maria bested Maria Sakkari in straight sets, which stood out as an upset from the world-ranked 103rd player over the fifth. With a massive statement made, the 34-year-old prepared to give the former semifinalist a challenge.

Ostapenko opened the match with near-flawless service until her first double fault made it to the court. The 12th seed brushed it off and locked down the win, bringing Maria close to the net before she sliced a winner far from her. The German had a similar breakdown of points, but did not commit a double fault. She did well in the third, gaining breakpoints and playing every point before taking the lead.

With inconsistencies occurring from Ostapenko’s game, the German consolidated the break to take a 3-1 lead. A chance for the double break came on the horizon for Maria, who jumped ahead in the fifth. Two errors leveled the Latvian to deuce before gaining the AD point and landed a clean winner to hold. She backed up the hold with a break of Maria, leveling the score after six games, hoping to have found some momentum.

The 12th seed picked up her third win in a row, fighting Maria in a closely fought seventh game. The next two games went the way of service holds nearing the business end of the set, with Ostapenko leading 5-4. Drawing errors from the 12th seed led to a leveling of the score that took the set deep. Ostapenko made the first push to regain the lead, leaving Maria to win or swim her way to a tiebreak.

The 12th seed had to work hard to force deuce in a heavily contested game she wanted to close out. Gaining set point on a challenged call gave her confidence to stay focused and land a winner away from Maria to end the first in 39 minutes. It was a better output from the Latvian, who had just one double fault but racked 17 errors compared to Maria with nine. Having 17 winners was a major standout of the success built to move into the following set.

Ostapenko constructed a 3-0 run that did not come easy but forced errors, and good challenges left the Latvian in charge. Maria turned things around on plenty of forced errors to the 12th seed, preventing the double break. The 34-year-old nearly had a grip on the fifth game when she was up 30-0, but the 12th seed fought back on serve and cleared the way to hold. She pulled out a new racket in hopes that she could lock the last two games needed for the match.

Maria refused to give her a game from her end of the court, forcing the 25-year-old to earn it from hers. Ostapenko missed some critical points that allowed the German to break back and sit a game down. Maria constructed a serve to love in the eighth that erased Ostapenko’s gap in the set. Frustrated with the ground lost, the 12th seed forced things to turn around and play some easy points near the net to conduct a much-needed win. With the lead in hand, Maria was on the ropes to stay alive on serve in the tenth. Drawing two errors was a good start for the Latvian, who gained another one on the fourth point to reach match point. Maria saved it with a line drive winner and then watched a ball land long to force deuce. An ace on the first break gave Maria another chance to play on in the set.

The 11th was a critical one for both, but huge points went the way of Maria, who clinched it for the break. The German sealed the set with a serve to love that forced a deciding set after 41 minutes. The 34-year-old improved her offense, scoring 85 percent of points won while limiting the errors to a pair. It rattled the Latvian, who still recorded 13 winners but committed 18 errors total.

Knowing that she could have been into the quarterfinals, Ostapenko went into the third set, holding serve to start. She consolidated the hold with a break of Maria in the second, but bad returns in the third gave the German a break back. The 34-year-old consolidated to level the score at two-all, gaining leverage against Ostapenko. The Latvian stepped up in the fifth to gain back some momentum, holding serve for the lead.

Maria followed along, but the Latvian was against being even with the competition. In the seventh, Ostapenko took the win on a long return. Despite the errors that secured the hold for Ostapenko, Maria did well with the offense, scoring another serve to love that evened the score through eighth with the match closing in on its conclusion. The ninth game was a tug of war for control and the lead. After the dust settled, the German took the lead at 5-4, with balls in hand to serve for a spot in the last eight.

Ostapenko denied her that chance, playing on shots from Maria that she was comfortable handling. It was the third consecutive set they went deep into, and in the eleventh, Ostapenko gifted critical points to Maria, who took the lead once more. In her second attempt at serving for the match, the German watched Ostapenko miss an easy point leading to her breaking a racket. After getting a new one, she handed Maria a long error that put her two points away.

The 34-year-old drove a winner down the line to bring up three match points. One was saved by the 12th seed, who made the point was all hers. A crosscourt from Ostapenko landed wide, ending a two-hour and seven minute thriller.

Jelena Ostapenko rallies to win in three sets at Wimbledon

Jelena Ostapenko hits a forehand across the court to Irina Camelia Begu during their third-round match at the Championships Wimbledon. 

Irina Camelia Begu watched her good start fall completely apart at the Championships Wimbledon Friday. Jelena Ostapenko didn’t have the best attack pattern but managed a stellar service coming through 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 to make it to the fourth round for the third time in her career on Court 3 at the All England Tennis Club. The 12th seed notched 28 winners against the competition, indicating her comfort level.

The two met for the third time and first in four years. The Romanian defeated the Latvian in both meetings that occurred on clay courts. With the situation on grass, the 12th seed eyed keeping her consistent play a success and inch closer to the second week. Her defeat of Yanina Wickmayer on Tuesday indicated her strengths to be just where she wanted them. The Latvian had already notched 74 winners in her two wins so far. Despite carrying a losing record against Begu, her focus at the All England has been tough to break. The Romanian had yet to face anyone ranked but did put in the time to defeat Elisabetta Cocciaretto. With her crosshairs aimed at Ostapenko, she’d hope for a third win and a new personal best.

The 25-year-old opened with a serve to love, followed by Begu holding her end in the second game. She went on to add a break for the lead but was broken right back by Ostapenko. On serve in the fifth, she trailed due to a double fault and forced deuce to prevent Begu from getting the double. After saving a break from the Romanian, she played through three more breaks to hold.

Begu leveled the score and again consolidated with a break for a 4-3 lead. The 31-year-old rallied to two games before double faults continued to be a problem for the 12th seed, who let another game slip away. By the time Begu won the set 6-3, Ostapenko tallied six double faults and 22 unforced errors in 31 minutes.

All of her troubles turned around in a dominant fashion after Begu recorded a win during the opening game of the second set. Ostapenko answered in the second with a second serve to love and was then gifted the third game on a troubling service from Begu. Double faults rattled the Romanian to lose on serve and quickly find herself two games down. The 31-year-old tried to reel in her troubles, but two double faults made that difficult. It resulted in Ostapenko scoring the double break for a 4-1 stand.  

The 12th seed went into the sixth game feeling comfortable with her game which sat her a game away from leveling the match. Begu’s offense wasn’t in a strong position and double-faulted a fifth time before errors cost her a chance to stay alive and give Ostapenko the victory after 29 minutes. With the momentum, Ostapenko managed to speed the games along, which led to Begu struggling where her five aces in the set were negated, with zero percent return points won and just 27 from the second serve.

She took a bathroom break, leaving Ostapenko on the court to freeze up. Luckily, the break wasn’t long as the Romanian returned to begin the decider. Ostapenko rushed through the first with a strong service and linked a break of serve in the second with help from a double fault on Begu. The Latvian took a commanding 3-0 score before Begu managed her way onto the scoreboard.

The 25-year-old brushed off the missed chance to bagel her opponent and went into the fifth game with a mission. She batted off a double fault and held serve to keep her three-game lead on Begu, who had to dig in. A sliced serve came back in the shape of a line drive winning return and another pair of winners to break Begu to love. It was the perfect setup for her to serve for the match where she handled an error and watched the Romanian give her an edge. An unreturnable serve brought up match point, which came on a return into the net from the 31-year-old, ending the day on court in 1 hour and 29 minutes.

“When I was down, I felt that I didn’t play my game very well,” Ostapenko said during her on-court interview. “I was then motivated and wanted to get back into it and play my game. She started the match very well, but I didn’t bring my level.” “I started to play a little smarter and just managed to win the match.” She’ll await the winner between Maria Sakkari or Tatiana Maria in what will be a major clash on middle Sunday.

Qiang Wang flys straight to second round in three set win over Belinda Bencic

Qiang Wang serves up a shot for Belinda Bencic during their first-round match at the Championships Wimbledon. 

Belinda Bencic played hard over the span of two day, only to see her tournament cut short at the Championships Wimbledon Tuesday. A lingering injury and lots of spunk from Qiang Wang allowed the Chinese star to advance after a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 result on Court 12 at the All England Tennis Club.

The two full-time stars of the WTA tour meet in a grand slam matchup to begin their series with one another. During the grass-court season, both players put in their time, but it was Bencic going for broke in Berlin. After losing in Hertogenbosch, the Swiss star moved into Berlin and gave it a run to the final. Despite retiring due to an ankle injury to eventual champ Ons Jabeur, the 25-year-old more than prepared herself for action at SW19.

Wang went a different path, playing a bit in the ITF before giving Nottingham and Birmingham a ruse. Though they didn’t pan out, her exhibition run at Liverpool produced three match wins. With the Chinese star carrying a streak, she would hope that it could bring up a problem for the 14th seed.  

Bencic cruised to a 40-0 opening, but problems brought Wang to deuce. The unseeded player managed to bring up an AD point, only to see Bencic reel her in and lock down the service. The 30-year-old produced a perfect serve to Bencic in the second and built up a breakpoint chance in the third. Bencic got into a net battle with Wang to settle the score to deuce. Her efforts to hold serve soured on the second break with an error that clinched the lead for the Chinese star.

The 14th seed broke back immediately in the fourth, not ready to give Wang any opportunities. Instead, she took one herself with a hold of serve in the fifth and beat Wang for the double break. Despite losing ground, the Chinese star battled back and cut Bencic’s lead, notching the fourth break of serve in the set. The score was level at four-all due to Wang’s effort to consolidate on serve.

She tallied her third win in a row against Bencic, who was outplayed on serve and faced going down a set. Wang was very much in gear, but a battle from Bencic forced her to go to deuce. She put down some good winners, but a late surge in the fourth break brought up a winner that sealed the deal for her. After a 45-minute set, Wang scored 75 percent from the first serve and had 17 winners to go with it. Bencic suffered many errors, with most at the hands of Wang and some of her own doing.

As the sunlight slowly faded from the court, Wang continued her dominance. She opened the second with a break of the Swiss star and backed it up on the serve. The Chinese star took a commanding presence on the court with a 3-0 lead over the 14th seed. With the double break in hand, the 30-year-old consolidated for a 4-0 score for her eighth game in a row over the Swiss. Bencic was not in position to overturn Wang but fought against the light to stay in contention.

In the fifth, the 14th seed was up 40-15 and snapped the long winning streak of Wang on a long error. Bencic fought back in the next game, earning three break points on the Chinese player. Wang managed to save one and forced errors from the 14th seed to reach deuce. After a couple of breaks, it was Wang who worked through Bencic to reach 5-1. Sitting on the edge of an early exit, Bencic served to stay alive in the seventh and held serve. Wang earned the chance to end it herself, but errors from her side of the court gave Bencic life. With two breakpoints, the 14th seed watched a pop fly go long, earning a third straight win.

The Swiss star hung on for another game as she had Wang’s nerves rattled after the ninth, gaining momentum. The 25-year-old completed the comeback with a dominant run of winners that broke down Wang, who was panicking on the court. Bencic won 16 of the last 20 points and, on game point in the 11th, the 14th seed locked down her fifth win in a row. Making sure that she stayed in control of the score, Bencic managed to secure the 12th game that sealed her a set to the good before play suspended.    

When play resumed the next day, Wang took the lead on a break of Bencic. She backed it up on serve for the 2-0 lead and soon had a 3-1 hold after four games. She sped through the next two games made it 5-1 for the Chinese star, who opened the match the same way. Bencic served to stay alive in the competition and rallied to hold off the end of her time on the court. Wang had two chances to get it done against Bencic and brought up an attempt, but watched it go long. She didn’t let her next attempt slip away, scoring her place in the second round on a long return from Bencic ending

Jelena Ostapenko works Oceane Dodin out of Wimbledon in straight sets

Jelena Ostapenko smashes a forehand across court to Oceane Dodin in their first-round match at the Championships Wimbledon

Jelena Ostapenko got into a quick battle but held the way to win at the Championships Wimbledon Tuesday. Despite a late start to her opening round match with Oceane Dodin, the Latvian held off the competition to win 6-4, 6-4 on Court 17 at the All England Tennis Club.

Despite losing out on back-to-back titles in Eastbourne, the Latvian was more than ready to meet her French opponent for the third time. Their last match in Doha went to the former French Open champion, who wanted to take all her progress this grass-court season and return to the semis from four years ago. Dodin only played one match on grass, leaving her vulnerable against the 12th seed. Despite the lack of work on the surface, Dodin had the capabilities to put into play.

Ostapenko opened the scoring with a serve to love, followed by a break gifted by the French star herself. Dodin broke back with terrific winning returns on every shot, but tying in a hold of serve was denied by the Latvian, who took a 3-1 stance. She adjusted to her serve against the breeze on the court to consolidate and take a 4-1 lead on Dodin. The French star cracked onto the score with a hold of serve, but Ostapenko continued to climb closer to taking the set, holding her end in the seventh.

Dodin inched closer to Ostapenko in back-to-back victories that saw the 12th seed struggle with returns. A game separated the two going into the ninth and Dodin on the service. She tried to get the victory that would level the score but reached deuce on errors. She handed the Latvian four set points until a long return ended the set for the 12th seed in 34 minutes. Unforced errors rattled both players in the end with 19, but the 11 winners Ostapenko produced were enough to help her edge ahead.

The 12 seed didn’t have the room to make errors in the second set, as Dodin followed her on holding serves through four games. In the fifth, the French star broke Ostapenko before she suffered one right back. The Latvian put together a serve to love in the seventh, as an error came across the court and long of the baseline. Dodin was still on her tail as the two reached the business end of the set.

In the ninth, Ostapenko locked the hold of serve to put Dodin on the hot seat to answer. The Latvian fired back forehand winners to reach match point, leading her to victory on her second attempt. A forehand winner put a cap on a quick day for the 12th seed, who secured a spot in the second round in 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Leylah Fernandez drops Belinda Bencic in three sets at French Open

Leylah Fernandez clenches her fist during her third-round match with Belinda Bencic at the French Open. 

Belinda Bencic once again suffered defeat at the hands of the youthful Canadian at the French Open Friday. Leylah Fernandez made her statements throughout the three-set match, defeating the 14th seed 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 on Court Philippe Chatrier on the grounds of Roland Garros.

After a big win over Bianca Andreescu, the Swiss star ran into another Canadian, who like Andreescu, made it to a main major final. Fernandez had done all right for herself this season, winning in Monterrey and putting in quality time on tour. Her experience against Bencic paid off two years ago at the Billy Jean King Cup, beating the then 23-year-old. Her wins so far against Kristina Mladenovic and Katerina Siniakova are impressive to set up a match with the 14th seed. Having made the third round before, the teen wanted to knock out another big name and surpass her personal best in Paris.

The Canadian opened service and blasted shots at Bencic, who only notched a point in the opening game. When it came time for her to serve, Fernandez managed to force deuce and worked the Swiss to break her. The teen gained a 3-0 lead on the 14th seed, backing up the early break. Bencic knew that she was out of her comfort zone and fought to change things in the fourth. She gained back her offense and knocked out a service game.

The 23-year-old scored a break and consolidated in the sixth, recovering all the ground lost to Fernandez. The Canadian followed suit with her opponent and held serve in the seventh, gaining back the lead in the process. With the business end of the set nearing, Bencic understood that losing serve was not an option and leveled the score back in response. The 14th seed had a chance to break Fernandez, but the teen fired a shot that forced Bencic to err. The Swiss turned it around for the AD point and forced an error on the other side, scoring the break.

With the door open to serve for the set, Bencic overcame the early deficit by Fernandez, only to be forced to deuce on her first set point. Having stopped the opportunity, the Canadian gained the AD point to level the score at five-all. The 17th seed put herself in a great place, taking the 11th game, with pressure back on Bencic. She opened the 12th with a miscue and a double fault, handing Fernandez a jump on the score. The Canadian took the advantage and won the next two points, clinching the first set in 57 minutes.

When playing Fernandez, errors were a huge factor in her consistent play on the court. She served 69 percent from the first serve and kept the errors low with four. Bencic struggled, despite her fight, but eight errors against the teen were too much to commit against a formidable opponent.

In the second, the competition was fierce, with Fernandez holding serve followed by Bencic. The 14th seed became enraged when she was called for time when her opponent was ready earlier. Despite her anger, she put that into breaking Fernandez to take the lead. Bencic slowed down the pace to her comfort, forcing deuce in the fourth. The Canadian teen continued to pressure Bencic through for breaks until the Swiss locked it down.

Fernandez stayed in touch with a hold of serve in the fifth, but stepping into Bencic’s serve was not in the cards, as the Swiss opened a two-game lead. The 17th seed maintained her being a break down, waiting for a chance to level the score. Bencic denied her opponent, responded well, and was on the court in the right place. She dictated the returns to break Fernandez to love, taking the set in 49 minutes.

Bencic notched 18 winners in her fight to tie up the match, dealing out a tough one for Fernandez, whose second serve struggled. She won just 42 percent and committed three double faults. With the Canadian teen in trouble, Bencic was intent on controlling the third set. The 14th seed held off the competition and broke for a 2-0 lead. When it looked as if a serve to love was going to occur for Bencic in the third, a double fault helped bring Fernandez to deuce.

She fought the next few points, scoring the break to get on the board and put the brakes on Bencic. She leveled the score after the fourth, consolidating the break, but was unable to keep up her strength. Bencic gained back the lead in the fifth but didn’t have the level of aggression to keep Fernandez in her rearview mirror. The Canadian made it three-all and created three breakpoints in the seventh. Bencic fought off two but double-faulted to secure the break for the 17th seed.

She took a 5-3 stand with a strong response on serve, putting Bencic on the ropes to save her time on the court. The Swiss fed on the pressure and blasted winners across to Fernandez, who couldn’t handle them. She still had the chance to serve for the match in the tenth, but a double fault brought up a breakpoint, which Bencic took on an error from the Canadian. Fernandez again took a step ahead of Bencic, who suffered critical errors to sit back under pressure.

With Fernandez in charge of her serve, she put everything she had left in the tank and pulled off three match points. A final serve scored her the biggest win at the major, shutting out Bencic in the 12th to complete a 2-hour and 51 minute match.  

Alize Cornet sends Jelena Ostapenko to the exit at the French Open

Alize Cornet in action during the second round of the French Open 

Jelena Ostapenko was ousted by not only the competition but the crowd at the French Open Thursday night. In support for the French star, Alize Cornet battled the 13th seed through three sets on Philippe Chatrier, winning 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 on the grounds of Roland Garros. It was an upset of a former champion that made many in the stands happy that a French player could advance.

The two got together for a fifth meeting and the first one to occur on the clay court. They each have two wins against the other, and with Cornet mulling about retirement, she has been enjoying the time on Chatrier. The 33-year-old started her first round there against Misaki Doi, taking care of the Japanese player. Her battles against Ostapenko have been a mix of challenges and smooth victories. With both playing well in their openers, it assured there would be no smooth transition for either.

Cornet earned the opening service and drew errors from Ostapenko early. She nearly had a serve to love but watched the Latvian tally a pair of points before closing it. Ostapenko was all over the place on her serve, giving Cornet the break. The French star consolidated the second with a near-perfect run in the third for a 3-0 score. With majority of the crowd behind Cornet, it promised to be an uphill battle for Ostapenko. She experienced this more in the fourth, with her shots falling wide of the tramlines and barely any accuracy. A double fault ended the game, handing Cornet the double break where she, in turn, consolidated for a 5-0 lead.

The Latvian ran out of time and ideas on how to overcome her problems but with help from Cornet’s terrific return game, she closed out the set with a winner to end the first in 24 minutes. Ostapenko recorded 16 unforced errors and scored just eight points in the competition. Major changes had to come to her game to stave off elimination in the second stanza.

Cornet opened the set and almost had a seventh game win on the horizon. A mistake at 40-30 gotnb Ostapenko to deuce, where she produced an AD point, scoring the break. She gained momentum on serve after fighting Cornet on deuce through three breaks. With the 2-0 lead, she opened up three breakpoints in the third, let one get away, and clinch the double break. The Latvian consolidated to a four-game winning streak, but the fifth saw a change from Cornet, who refused to hand another break to the 21-year-old.

Performing better on serve, the French star gave the crowd something to cheer for, but Ostapenko won the sixth on a break to love, taking a 5-1 lead. In an attempt to stay alive in the set, Cornet tried to hold off the Latvian but made a critical miscue on game point. It opened the door once more for the 13th seed. On the first AD point, Ostapenko evened the match with a final error, putting the second set down in 31 minutes. Cornet’s second serve was not up to par and stood out as the biggest problem. She scored just one point on eight tries and two double faults while the Latvian’s offense was running high.

Improvements came quickly in the third, where she successfully broke Ostapenko. The 13th seed hunted down a chance to break back in the second but blew her breakpoint on a long return. The two got into a fight for the AD point that spanned five breaks and lasted ten minutes. In the end, it was Cornet taking the victory and a two-game lead in the decider. Tension became a problem for Ostapenko, who struggled with the first serve and didn’t have much from the second either. She surrendered another game, handing Cornet the double break. The Latvian landed good winners in the fourth, that assisted in her breaking back. Good court positioning and defense against Cornet helped her notch a second win, sitting one back from leveling the score.

Cornet held serve in the sixth to keep Ostapenko trailing by two games. The Latvian had a chance to get within one but double-faulted and erred to bring Cornet to deuce in the seventh. An error from the French star brought up an AD point for the 13th seed, who watched a return go into the net from the other end. Every point was dramatically played in the eighth, and on deuce, it took Cornet just once to hold her service and lead 5-3. Ostapenko complained to the umpire because she heard someone make a call on the court.

It was a moment that couldn’t be changed and forced Ostapenko to continue playing. Cornet earned two match points on a long ball from the Latvian, who then handed the victory with one last shot into the net, ending 1 hour and 41 minutes.

Belinda Bencic holds of Bianca Andreescu in straight sets at French Open

Belinda Bencic celebrates during a key point in her second-round match with Bianca Andreescu at the French Open. 

Belinda Bencic handled a tough match to get the revenge she waited three years for at the French Open Wednesday. The 25-year-old found a solution late in the second set against Bianca Andreescu, who surged back, but fell 6-2, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier on the grounds of Roland Garros. It was an important win for the 14^th seed, who leveled the series with the Canadian, who was responsible for denying her a major final. 

The reigning Olympic gold medalist met a former adversary for the first time since their 2019 US Open semifinal. It was there that the Canadian went on to win the championship, making a true name for herself. Since that time, Andreescu had struggled to play her game since early last year. Returning during the clay-court season was an easy transition after posting a quarterfinal appearance in Rome last week. 

Though she had a victory against Bencic, the Swiss had her strengths that matched better than the 21-year-old, who wanted to surpass her second-round personal best. Bencic’s schooling of Reka Jani on Monday was a prime example of comfortability and that even under pressure, she could be a dangerous opponent. 

In the opening game, she made that clear, holding Andreescu to a point for the break. Bencic consolidated in the second and watched the Canadian get on the board during her service. The Swiss went back to her mission of taking time away from Andreescu, who wasn’t playing on her favorite surface. Down two games, the 21-year-old held service in the fifth while feeding off the energy of the supporters in the stands. 

The 14^th seed took care of business and went into the seventh determined to steal points away from Andreescu. Playing with two breakpoints, Bencic secured the break and a 5-2 lead on a ball long from the Canadian. To seal off the first set, Bencic dominated on serve, producing three set points. Andreescu saved one on a painted line winner but went down on a long ball near the feet of Bencic. 33 minutes had elapsed for the 14^th seed, who notched just six winners but won 14 of 17 from the first serve. Andreescu was marked for ten unforced errors, proving that the Swiss had successfully taken time and energy away from the Canadian. 

Bencic rushed into the second, putting herself into a new gear that Andreescu couldn’t handle. The 14^th seed achieved the first breakpoint, pushing again when the 21-year-old forced deuce. With the break in hand, Bencic cruised through her service game, allowing Andreescu a single point before taking a 2-0 lead. Andreescu tried to get her game in check and hold Bencic back while on serve. Reaching 40-15 looked to be a sign of success until the 14^th seed made it to deuce. It only took the 25-year-old a break to gain the AD point and score the double break on the Canadian. 

Unforced errors from Andreescu gifted Bencic another easy service which she took on an ace down the T. Errors into the net from Bencic in the following game allowed Andreescu to secure a hold of serve and applause from the crowd. While she hoped that more would come from the lone victory, Bencic had other plans. The 14^th seed swept the competition and took the pivotal 5-1 lead, leaving Andreescu to serve for an extension of the match. 

The Canadian capitalized on her opponent’s mistake and gave her own game a lifeline, Andreescu succeeded in a second win. Bencic served for a chance to serve it out, but errors into the net cost her dearly. The Swiss handed Andreescu three breakpoints in the eighth game before saving one. A second was on the Canadian, who sent it into the net, but a long ball from Bencic capped the game for the 21-year-old. 

Andreescu chipped another game from Bencic, who was rattled by the errors. With the score at 5-4, the Swiss were under pressure to shut her opponent out. A double fault from the 14^th seed was a huge blunder but nailed down an ace to force deuce. Bencic brought up a match point but a long rally ended with her backhanding a shot into the net. Andreescu screamed in delight that deuce was back in but another chance for Bencic arrived. 

The Canadian smashed another match point away, but when Bencic gained another, she made sure it stuck. The Swiss star remained clutch on the court and on her third attempt, watched the return from Andreescu go long to breathe a sigh of relief after 1 hour and 21 minutes. 

“This is tennis and maybe I need a little drama,” Bencic said during her on-court interview. “I think Bianca is a great player and of course, it was going to be tight. I lost the focus just a little bit and I think that’s enough for her to come back. I’m happy that in the important moments I was strong and I think this is most important to show some fight.”

Bencic wouldn’t get to rest long as she would face another US Open finalist in Leylah Fernandez, who took her down in the Billy Jean King Cup two years ago.