Ladies of the WTA test their 2019 Tennis Knowledge at WTA Finals

I love how Simona completely forgot she was #1 at the beginning of the year. :D

To be fair I would honestly have to look each one of these up to remember who won what, it was a busy season with such a variety of winners.

Also Bencic answer on Pliskova's # of aces is my fave response to a question this year :D.

These ladies are so fun. Always love seeing them be themselves off the court, that's when their personalities really shine.

Angelique Kerber could face Indian Wells champion Canada's Andreescu in Miami 3rd round

MIAMI, FL, USA -- A rematch of the scintillating BNP Paribas Open final could be in the offing early at the 2019 Miami Open, as the star-studded draw, which was revealed on Sunday, finds Bianca Andreescu and Angelique Kerber in the same section of the Premier Mandatory event.

No.8 seed Kerber and Andreescu could meet up in the third round as the Miami Open starts its first year at its new venue, the Hard Rock Stadium. 18-year-old Andreescu claimed her first WTA singles title when she defeated reigning Wimbledon champion Kerber in the Indian Wells final on Sunday in three sets.

Andreescu, still unseeded, has some hurdles before getting to that match. She will face Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round, and they went three sets in the first round at Indian Wells. If Andreescu can get through that match, she will face No.32 seed Sofia Kenin of the United States -- the most recent player to beat Andreescu, which occurred in the semifinals of Acapulco a few weeks ago.

Andreescu, Kerber, and Kenin, along with No.9 seed Aryna Sabalenka, find themselves in the top quarter of the draw, where the winner from their section could face World No.1 Naomi Osaka, who sits at the top of the bracket, in the quarterfinals.

Osaka was unable to defend her 2018 BNP Paribas Open title last week, falling to Belinda Bencic in the fourth round at Indian Wells. A battle between the two most recent Australian Open champions could take place in the fourth round, as the current titleholder Osaka is projected to face last year's Melbourne champion, No.13 seed Caroline Wozniacki, at that stage.

No.3 seed Petra Kvitova, who lost to Osaka in this year's Australian Open final, leads her quarter, also in the top half of the draw. No.7 seed Kiki Bertens and No.12 seed Ashleigh Barty are in the Kvitova quarter too, as well as three-time Miami Open champion Victoria Azarenka.

Azarenka's most recent WTA singles title came at Miami in 2016, when she completed the Indian Wells/Miami "Sunshine Double." She will face former World No.4 Dominika Cibulkova in a marquee first-round match between unseeded players.

In the bottom half of the draw, No.2 seed Simona Halep of Romania will try to rebound from a fourth-round loss to Czech teen Marketa Vondrousova at Indian Wells. Three-time Miami Open champion Venus Williams, who made the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, is in Halep's section as well.

The victor from that section could face No.10 seed Serena Williams, who has won an astounding eight titles in Miami, in the quarterfinals. Before that point, Serena Williams could potentially face No.6 seed Elina Svitolina, a 2019 Indian Wells semifinalist, or 2019 Australian Open semifinalist Danielle Collins, the No.25 seed, in the round of 16.

Finally, reigning Miami Open champion and No.4-seeded American Sloane Stephens leads her quarter, also in the bottom half, as she attempts to defend her most recent title. Stephens is just 5-5 on the season thus far, but will attempt to turn that record around in a second-round match against either Ons Jabeur of Tunisia or Belgium's Alison van Uytvanck.

Stephens' vanquished finalist from last year, No.22 seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, is also in the same section, and No.5 seed Karolina Pliskova sits at the other end of her quarter. Pliskova, however, has No.23 seed Belinda Bencic in her portion of the draw. Bencic has beaten six Top 10 players over the last month -- including Pliskova at Indian Wells.

wtatennis.com

I feel like I don't do enough women's tennis posts on this blog. I'm not sure why since I often watch more women's matches than men's. 

It certainly was the case at Indian Wells this year. The matches were often more entertaining than the men's 

The entire draw at BNP Paribas Open for the women was fantastic to watch. And I'm really looking forward to seeing what unfolds in Miami this week. 

Swiss Bliss: Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic defend their Hopman Cup title

Hopman Cup Facebook

Roger Federer has won the Mastercard Hopman Cup for a record third time after Switzerland beat Germany in a winner-takes-all point on Saturday night.

Federer gave Switzerland a 1-0 lead in the tie with a 6-4 6-2 win over world No.4 Alexander Zverev on Saturday.

But Kerber levelled the tie with a 6-4 7-6 (6) win over Bencic in the women’s singles rubber.

Switzerland then came up trumps 4-0 1-4 4-3 (4) in the deciding mixed doubles that came down to the final point.

Under the short sets format, the match is decided by a winner-takes-all point if scores are locked at 4-4 in the third-set tiebreak.

Germany failed to convert a championship point before it reached that stage, and they again faltered when everything was on the line, with Zverev hitting the ball into the net to spark Switzerland’s celebrations.

Federer’s three Mastercard Hopman Cup titles is more than any other player.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion first won the Hopman Cup in 2001, when he teamed with Martina Hingis to beat the US.

The 37-year-old won his second crown alongside Bencic last year, beating Zverev and Kerber.

And it was the exact same script this year, with Federer winning his singles match in the final before helping clinch the deciding rubber in the mixed doubles.

“I’m very happy about these records, but I didn’t come here for that,” Federer said.

“What a thrill it was – not just the match point, but also the whole match and the whole week.

“It’s great fun. I’m happy, I’m proud to represent my country. It’s been a super pleasure teaming with Belinda.

Federer was simply unstoppable in his singles rubber, countering the power of Zverev with classy stroke play and unpredictable deftness.

Zverev unleashed a series of powerful serves, some of which exceeded 220 km/h.

But Federer snared the crucial break in the 10th game of the first set, before breaking the young German again early in the second set on the way to the 70-minute win.

Federer has beaten Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie, and Zverev in straight sets at the Hopman Cup, giving him an excellent preparation for his Australian Open title defence.

“I’m happy I’m feeling this good and playing as well as I am,” Federer said.

“It’s good to finish on a singles performance like this. I’m a bit surprised that the matches have gone as well as they have.”

The victory ensured Switzerland’s fourth Mastercard Hopman Cup title in total, the nation’s first trophy secured by Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere and Jakob Hlasek in 1992.

Federer and Bencic were the first pair in the event’s 31-year history to return to defend a title.

hopmancup.com

2019 is starting off just like 2018 for Roger :). 

I actually felt sorry for Sasha and Angie this time, they actually had championship point and yet somehow Roger and Belinda managed to get out of it and play that one last amazing point to win it. 

I really hope they keep this event. Where else will you see Federer play mixed doubles like this. So special. 

Tennis players shine at Hopman Cup NYE Gala

Team Switzerland looking spffy I think they win best dressed but I'm biased

 Team Greece

 Team Germany

 Team Spain

 Team France

 Team Australia

Team USA

Team Great Britain 

Defending Champions Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic make winning return at Hopman Cup

Roger Federer outplayed Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-1, 6-1 to secure a winning start for the defending champions Switzerland at the Hopman Cup in Perth on Sunday .

Gearing up for his Australian Open title defence, Federer overcame three break points in his opening service game before rediscovering his rhythm to race to a 5-0 lead.

With 18 winners and four aces, Federer wrapped up the opening set in 31 minutes as Norrie struggled to match Federer’s crisp stroke-making.

Federer’s playing partner Belinda Bencic beat Katie Boulter 6-2, 7-6 in the women’s contest to clinch Switzerland’s victory in the round-robin stage.

The 37-year-old Federer, has won the last two Australian Open titles after taking part in the mixed-team tournament in Perth. “This was a great start but obviously there’s a long way to go here and in Melbourne,” the world No 3 said. “It’s nice I’m feeling as good as I am and played a wonderful match against Cameron.”

Switzerland play USA on New Year’s Day, with Federer, a 20-times grand slam winner, set to play the 23-times grand slam winner Serena Williams in the mixed doubles. The match pits arguably the two greatest players of all time against each other in their first contest on court.

Norrie, the world No 91, beat the Greek world No 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets for the biggest win of his career on Saturday. Great Britain return to Hopman Cup action on Thursday.

“I admire everything she has done both on and off the court,” Federer said. “I have always thought how is it to return that serve and go head-to-head with her.

“It’s very exciting for us. I hope tennis fans tune in and watch it because it’s going to be one time and probably never again in this type of competition.

“I don’t know her that well. I only know her from some champions’ dinners at Wimbledon. We have busy lives and a big entourage, so it’s rare to really deep dive. We can relate to each other more so now, being parents.”

Last year’s runners-up Germany made a triumphant return when Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber recorded hard-fought victories in their singles matches.

Coming off a title win at the season-ending ATP Finals in London, Zverev countered his 45 unforced errors with 39 winners and eight aces to beat Spain’s David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 7-6.

After the match, Zverev paid tribute to former world No 3, who will retire next year at the age of 36. “All the credit is [to] David, coming back from a set down and break down,” Zverev said.

“He is the greatest fighter, maybe, that we have ever seen in tennis. What he has done in tennis over the past 15 or 20 years has been absolutely amazing.”

Kerber, the world No 2, beat Garbiñe Muguruza 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to end a five-match losing streak against the two-times grand slam winner.

theguardian.com

Serena Williams to face Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic in Hopman Cup doubles next year

Serena Williams is set to face Roger Federer in her first event of the 2019 season when the USA play Switzerland in the mixed doubles at the Hopman Cup.

Williams, 37, has not played since her controversial US Open final defeat by Naomi Osaka in September.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion partners Frances Tiafoe, while 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer and Belinda Bencic will seek to defend their title.

Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter will represent Great Britain in Perth.

"The Aussie fans are always so warm and supportive and the Hopman Cup has always given me a great start to the season, especially ahead of the Australian Open," said Williams, who pulled out of this month's China Open.

Williams will be playing in Australia for the first time since winning the 2017 Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant, having missed last year's tournament as she was not fully fit to return following the birth of daughter Olympia.

The Hopman Cup runs from 29 December until 5 January, with the 2019 Australian Open taking place from 14-27 January.

The mixed team event features eight nations split into two groups, with teams facing each other in sessions that consist of a men's and women's singles match and a mixed doubles match.

Each team plays the other three in their group, and the top teams in each group then meet in the final.

The USA are due to meet Switzerland on New Year's Day in Group B, which also features Great Britain and Greece.

Group A consists of France, Spain, Germany and hosts Australia.

Federer, 37, and Bencic, 21, won Switzerland's first Hopman Cup since 2001 earlier this year.
Teams

Group A

France - Lucas Pouille and Alize Cornet

Spain - David Ferrer and Garbine Muguruza

Germany - Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber

Australia - Matt Ebden and Ashleigh Barty

Group B

Great Britain - Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter

Greece - Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari

Switzerland - Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic

USA - Frances Tiafoe and Serena Williams

www.bbc.com

Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic win 3rd Hopman Cup for Switzerland!

2001

 2018

Roger Federer Tumblr

World No.2 Roger Federer paid tribute to Martina Hingis on the way to winning his second Hopman Cup crown.

Federer gave Switzerland a perfect start in the final against Germany by coming from a set down to beat world No.4 Alexander Zverev 6-7 (4-7) 6-0 6-2 on Saturday night.

But former world No.1 and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerberlevelled the tie for Germany with a 6-4 6-1 thumping of Belinda Bencic in a match that lasted just 63 minutes.

Switzerland secured the title by winning the Fast4 mixed doubles 4-3 (5-3) 4-2.

Federer was just 19 when he won the Hopman Cup in 2001 alongside then world No.1 Hingis.

Since then, he has won a record 19 grand slams to cement himself as a legend of the sport.

Federer paid tribute to the influence Hingis had on paving the way for his decorated career.

"She had a great career and to have that in a small country like Switzerland is very rare," Federer said.

"I could look up to her and think, 'Wow, how is she being so mentally strong and so consistent at such a young age and I can't do that yet in practice and in the matches, let alone week in week out'.

"It made me also believe with hard work and dedication you get really far, because I didn't believe that much at that point when I was younger, I thought it was more all talent."

Switzerland now have three Hopman Cup titles to their name.

Germany have two - their last coming in 1995 when Boris Becker and Anke Huber beat Ukraine in the final.

A record attendance of 106,424 fans attended this summer's Hopman Cup.

The previous record was 104,468 set back in 2013.

Federer won all four of his singles matches at the Hopman Cup, and is full of confidence heading into his Australian Open defence.

espn.com

Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic going for Swiss perfection reach finals of Hopman Cup for the first time since 2001

Roger Federer Facebook

Federer set the Swiss on their way with an entertaining 7-6 7-5 victory over Jack Sock, before Belinda Bencic took out CoCo Vandeweghe in two hard -fought sets to give the Europeans an unassailable 2-0 lead.


Switzerland are looking to win the Hopman Cup for the second time, following their success back in 2001, when Martina Hingis partnered Federer, and 16 years later, the evergreen Swiss, alongside Belinda Bencic, is on the verge of giving the country her second title. The Federer-Bencic combination is featuring at the Hopman Cup for the second straight year- they finished second in the round-robin phase last season, narrowing losing out to eventual champions, France, but the likeable duo have been on a mission to make amends for their 2017 shortcomings, moving through to the final without losing any rubbers.


Opting to begin his season at the more relaxed atmosphere of the Hopman Cup, Federer will surely have appreciated the workout he has had so far. The opposition has got progressively more difficult, from a routine win over Yuichi Sugita in his opening match, to his hard-fought straight-sets conquest of the big-hitting Karen Khachanov, and then Thursday night’s gripping win over Sock.


Federer had all the early chances against Sock, failing to convert a 15-40 lead at 2-1 and a 0-40 lead at 3-2, with the resolute American opponent across the net coming up with some big forehands, and clever work at the net to stay with Federer. Sock tidied up his serve, and held more comfortably after that, carving out a break point in the ninth and eleventh games, but the set ultimately went into a tie break, with Federer taking early control with two mini-breaks for a 3-0 lead. Sock refused to go away, and evened the breaker at 4-4, but Federer won three of the next four points to take the opening set.


Federer’s break-point conversion woes continued at the start of the second set, with the Swiss missing out of another 15-40 opening at 1-1, but he eventually found his way late in the set in a moment of inspiration. With Sock crowding the net and volleying Federer from side to side, the great Swiss showed fantastic athleticism to cover the baseline before unfurling a magical forehand on the run that was too hot to handle for a bewildered Sock. It was so good that it drew a gasp, and then a giggle from Federer himself. That helped Federer to a 6-5 lead, and the Swiss went on to serve out a thrilling 7-6 7-5 victory after an hour and 35 minutes.


“I’ve maintained a high level in all three matches, which is a great thing. This was another step up in terms of ranking and I thought it was a very entertaining match for both of us and we got to interact with the crowd, which was great. I thought it was a good step forward”, Federer said.


“It was a lot of fun. We sort of get the opportunity to try out things in the right fashion, without the chase of so many ATP points”.


With Switzerland 1-0 up from the men’s singles, Belinda Bencic ensured that the Swiss will finish top of the group, and take their place in Saturday’s final with a very impressive 7-6 6-4 victory over world number 10, CoCo Vandeweghe. There wasn’t much to separate the pair, but it was Bencic who played the big points better, holding her nerve to close out the win.


Bencic may be ranked outside the top 70 at the moment, but it is surely just a matter of time before she attains a spot much closer to her career-high No. 7 spot. The 20-year-old has had a rough deal with injuries in recent years, dropping outside the top 300 in September, but a relentless run of form at the back end of last season yielding WTA 125K titles in Hua Hin and Taipei, and an ITF meet in Dubai propelled the Swiss to a year-end ranking of 74. She has carried on from where she left off in 2018, beating three quality opponents in the Hopman Cup. Bencic opened with a straight-sets victory over Naomi Osaka, before edging out world number 15, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets. However, Thursday’s victory over Vandeweghe was arguably her most impressive effort this week.


Bencic came through a rollercoaster opening set on a tie break, before breaking early in the second set to take control of the match. Vandeweghe made one last push when Bencic served at 4-3, building up a 15-40 lead, but the Swiss kept her composure remarkably to emerge with four straight points. Two games later, she closed out a fine win, sealing the deal with a forehand drive volley.


Federer and Bencic then joined forces in the mixed doubles to defeat Sock and Vandeweghe, as Switzerland went 9-0 in their 2018 Hopman Cup rubbers.


Switzerland will know their next opponents when Group A is decided on Friday, with Germany, Belgium and hosts, Australia all in with a chance of winning the group.

livetennis.com

Martina Hingis, Belinda Bencic enjoy Biel/Bienne Kids Day

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland -- Children attending the Ladies Open Biel Bienne over the weekend got to get a glimpse of two of their country's biggest WTA stars, as Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and Martina Hingis participated in the tournament's Kids' Day festivities, organized by Swiss Tennis.

The duo forms quite the Swiss trifecta on the WTA Tour alongside Timea Bacsinszky and held a youth clinic as part of the event ahead of the Monday's main draw.

Both players will face Carina Witthoeft in the first round of their respective tournaments, as the wildcard Bencic will face the German in singles while Hingis and Bacsinszky will square off against Witthoeft and Diana Marcinkevica in doubles.

wtatennis.com

Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic Hopman Cup post match interviews

Roger Federer & Belinda Bencic to play Hopman Cup together next year

It wasn't a remarkable 2016 season for Belinda Bencic. The Swiss had aimed to be in the top-10 of the WTA Rankings and instead had to leave the top-40, as injuries kept affecting her season. 'I dealt with it for the whole summer', Belinda said to Blick. 

'It wasn't easy, you don't know how much time it takes and you are afraid that it's returned. It has been a very difficult moment but you have to look forward. I am already working to prepare for the new season, no holidays for me this year.'


2017 season will start in a special way for her, at the Hopman Cup with Roger Federer. 'It's a dream come true. I can't believe I will play with Roger. I mean, me, Belinda Bencic. I am so happy, not many people can say they played alongside Federer in doubles. Hopefully I am not too much nervous!'.

tennisworldusa.org

Roger Federer & Martina Hingis lead Switzerland Olympic Tennis Team

Roger Federer was selected to play singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the Rio Olympics by the Swiss tennis federation, which announced its full six-player roster Thursday.

Also selected were Martina Hingis, Stan Wawrinka, Belinda Bencic, Timea Bacsinszky and doubles specialist Xenia Knoll, whose place is dependent on International Tennis Federation approval.

Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion without an Olympic singles title, has long been expected to play singles and mixed doubles with Hingis in Rio.

The Swiss federation selecting Federer for men’s doubles, too, leaves open the possibility that he and Wawrinka could pair together for a third straight Games. They won gold at Beijing 2008 and were upset in the second round at London 2012.

However, Federer did not play mixed doubles when it returned to the Olympic program in 2012. Federer has expressed doubt that he could play all three of singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the Olympics, given the crowded schedule.

Hingis, 35, returns to the Games for the first time since her Olympic debut in 1996. As expected, she is listed in doubles and mixed doubles but not singles.

nbcsports.com

WTA adds a new indoor tournament in Switzerland starting April of 2017

ZUG, Switzerland - Octagon and InfrontRingier Sports & Entertainment Switzerland are bringing the WTA tour to Biel/Bienne, with a new indoor tournament to be staged in April each year starting in 2017.

The International event will take place at a new indoor arena - to be completed in February 2017 - following the conclusion of the Sunshine Swing in Indian Wells and Miami. Its draw will feature 32 players for the singles competition and a draw of 16 for doubles.

"Swiss tennis is enjoying an exceptional era and we're delighted the beautiful town of Biel will be part of the WTA calendar in 2017," says WTA CEO Steve Simon. "We invite our fans to be part of the excitement and enjoy outstanding world-class tennis in Biel."

Octagon, the global sports and entertainment marketing and talent management powerhouse, has extensive women's tennis experience in Switzerland. In addition to having staged a premier WTA tournament for 25 years in Zurich, and other WTA competitions in Lucerne and Geneva, Octagon also represents Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic.

"We are very pleased that such a broad group of exceptional interests have aligned to create this new tournament," announced Philip D. M. de Picciotto, the Founder and President of Octagon.‎ "The marketing and media excellence of InfrontRingier, the esteemed status of Swiss Tennis, the world class talent of the Swiss players and the WTA's global leadership position in professional sport for women have enabled a mere idea to become a reality."

"I am really looking forward to having a WTA tournament back in Switzerland," says Hingis, the reigning doubles co-No.1. "I have fond memories of my first WTA tournament in Zurich and I am excited that Octagon has been able to work with Swiss Tennis and InfrontRingier to bring an International event to Biel. Switzerland has a great tennis history and having such an event in my home country will help to build on that. Being able to play in front of your home fans is a special experience and I plan to be involved as much as possible to help make the tournament a success for the Swiss tennis fans."

Bencic added: "It is a unique experience and great honor for me to be part of the WTA Tour's return to Switzerland. Having a tournament in my home country gives me the opportunity to give something back to the tennis fans in Switzerland. I know from my own experience that being able to watch the world's best players in person can be inspiring. I really look forward to playing in front of the Swiss audience and will hopefully be able to contribute to the growth of the sport there."

Lukas Troxler, Deputy Managing Director of InfrontRingier and designated Tournament Director, commented: "We are more than proud to partner with Octagon to bring the WTA Tour to the country, especially at this time, as Swiss women's tennis is experiencing tremendous international success and a huge upward trend. Tennis fans in Switzerland are eager and enthusiastic to support their players and it is exciting for the country to once again become a world stage for tennis. We would like to extend our thanks also to Swiss Tennis for its support and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration."

wtatennis.com

Martina Hingis & Belinda Bencic help Switzerland reach Fed Cup semis

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LEIPZIG, Germany (AP) Belinda Bencic and Australian Open doubles champion Martina Hingis sent Switzerland to the Fed Cup semifinals with a 3-2 win over Germany on Sunday.

The 18-year-old Bencic and Hingis, who won with Sania Mirza in Melbourne, converted four of their five break points to defeat Andrea Petkovic and Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-3, 6-2 in the deciding doubles match.

Bencic paid tribute to her 35-year-old doubles partner.

''She did all the great volleys and all the doubles stuff. I was just happy I could play with her. I'm not a doubles specialist,'' said the Swiss No. 1, who upset Australian Open singles champion Angelique Kerber 7-6 (4), 6-3 to give Switzerland a 2-1 lead earlier Sunday.

Bencic, ranked 11th, came from 1-4 down to win the first set tiebreaker and needed just one match point to seal the win in 1 hour, 32 minutes. She had beaten Petkovic 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday, when Kerber topped Timea Bacsinszky 6-1, 6-3.

Annika Beck pulled Germany level at 2-2 and ensured the first-round contest would be decided by the doubles match when she defeated Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-4 in her Fed Cup debut.

No. 2-ranked Kerber appeared out of sorts, perhaps weary just eight days after claiming her first Grand Slam title in a three-set victory over Serena Williams in Melbourne.

''I was a little bit tired, especially at the end of the first set, but I was trying to take all my energy from the crowd and the team. But Belinda played very solid to the end, and well done to her,'' Kerber said. ''Today I gave all I had left.''

Switzerland will face the Czech Republic in the semifinals on Apr. 16 and 17.

''I have no idea where we can go but I'm excited to find out,'' Switzerland captain Heinz Guenthardt said. ''Martina is one of the best doubles players in the world right now and Belinda is very solid. This surface is good for Belinda but we knew she had to play at the top of her game and she did.''

tennis.com

Belinda Bencic keeps her winning streak alive in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, OH, USA - Just two days after completing a dream run at the Rogers Cup, beatingEugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Sabine Lisicki, Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams and Simona Halep en route to the biggest title of her career, WTA Rising Star Belinda Bencic kept her winning streak going at the Western & Southern Open, beating another marquee name: Angelique Kerber.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Cincinnati right here on wtatennis.com!

Kerber was on her own hot streak - two weeks ago she won the Bank Of The West Classic in Stanford, her fourth Premier-level title of the year after triumphs in Charleston, Stuttgart and Birmingham.

And the No.11-seeded German put up some major resistance on Tuesday, rallying from 1-5 to 5-all in the first set and 1-3 to 3-all in the second set, but at the tail end of both sets it was Bencic who came through every time, and she reeled off the last seven points of the match to close it out, 7-5, 6-3.

"The first set was a very difficult situation - I had 5-1 and I was playing great, but then she played better and better and started going for her shots more until it was 5-all again," Bencic described.

"But then I was able to focus again and won my service game, and then I closed it out."

The key stat to the match, other than the fact that Bencic had 23 fewer unforced errors than Kerber (25 to 48), was the Swiss teenager's incredible conversion rate on the big points - she won a whopping six of her seven break point opportunities in the match, while Kerber converted on only three of 11.

Maybe her already-steely nerves are even steelier after those six huge wins in Canada?

"Last week was very mental - I'm so happy I was so mentally tough there," Bencic said.

"I had a lot of nerves against Serena in the semifinals, and I'm really happy I could close it out. It's just amazing for me, everything that's happened, and I'm really proud that I managed to win there.

"You get confidence when you keep winning, and especially when you're playing and winning on the big courts against the big players, so hopefully I can just keep going like this."

Has she been able to sleep since that breakthrough result?

"I've been sleeping very well, actually!" she smiled.

Bencic will play Flavia Pennetta in the next round. Pennetta won the pair's only previous meeting.

wtatennis.com

Rogers Cup has a new champion 18 year old Swiss rising star Belinda Bencic!

Belinda Bencic delivered a weekend warrior performance for the ages in Toronto. The 18-year-old Bencic backed up her stunning upset of world No. 1 Serena Williams grinding through scalding heat and scrappy second seeded Simona Halep to capture the second Premier championship of her career today.

Bencic led 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 3-0 when a listless Halep, hampered by a left knee injury, nausea and heat-related illness, retired after two-and-a-half hours in a punishing Rogers Cup final that drove both women to physical and emotional extremes.

It was Bencic's 21st victory in her last 25 matches—a streak that began with her run to the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final in June. The Swiss who exhibits sharp court-sense well beyond her years is the first teenager to rule the Rogers Cup since an 18-year-old Ana Ivanovic raised the title trophy in 2006.

Watch out New York.

Could the projected Serena summer become Belinda's breakthrough season?

The former junior world No. 1 not only upstaged two of the world's top three players in successive grueling three-setters, she held her nerve, managed the court and struck with conviction to hold off comebacks from far more experienced—and seemingly fitter—opponents.

Bencic is projected to rise to a career-high No. 12 when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow, but she's already performing at a Top 10 level—and making winning a habit.

The 2014 U.S. Open quarterfinalist knocked off four Top 10 players, including former world No. 1s Caroline Wozniacki and Ivanovic, capping a phenomenal week by beating Williams and Halep back-to-back.

Last weekend, Bencic and Kristina Mladenovic won the D.C. doubles title. Last night, she became the youngest player to beat Serena since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova toppled Williams in the 2004 WTA Championships.

The adrenaline rush of her conquest of the top seed had barely subsided, when Bencic returned to face the speedy Romanian.

Steamy conditions and pressure of a Premier-level final provoked emotional intensity in both women. The second serve is the weakest link of both women's games and both took their cracks at exploiting that vulnerability. They combined for six service breaks in the first set.

In the ninth game, Halep hit a sweeping forehand winner down the line to open a 40-0 lead only to watch it melt away as Bencic answered with a couple of fine running strikes down the line. On the 14th point, Bencic angled off a drop volley, but Halep burst up to the ball quickly and curled a forehand pass crosscourt, holding for 5-4.

The teenager called out her father and traveling coach, Ivan, during the changeover. Wailing in frustration at one point, Bencic used the break as a stress-relief session. Consultation with dad seemed to settle Bencic, who held with a feisty scream and clenched fist for 5-all. Halep held for 6-5 then called the trainer out for treatment on her left knee. She returned with taping above her left knee. When Bencic held to force the tie break point women had won exactly 41 points.

A topsy-turvy tie break saw Halep burst out to a 4-1 lead. Bencic responded with four straight points, including a forehand swing volley winner, and when Halep sprayed a forehand return she gained set point.

Jerking her opponent from right to left, Bencic drew the error snatching a hard-fought 68-minute opening set.

One of Halep's biggest problems in this final was closing games. She often built extensive leads only to see them erode as Bencic worked the corners in running rallies. Halep could not convert a 40-15 lead as Bencic broke to snatch a 2-0 second-set lead. Halep hammered a backhand crosscourt to break right back for 1-2.

Following the third game, a woozy-looking Halep took a medical time-out. WTA trainer Karen Jordan took the Romanian's blood pressure as a grim Halep stared at the court like a woman running on fumes knowing the race was far from over. Play resumed and Bencic broke for 4-2. Wisely working the wide angles to drain the legs of her depleted opponent even more, Bencic dragged Halep wide to the forehand side, often drawing netted replies. 

When Halep swatted a forehand into net, Bencic had her third break of the set. Stepping up to serve for her biggest title, the teenager tightened. Halep broke at love for 4-5 as Romanian fans chanted a familiar refrain: "See - Mo - Na!" "See - Mo - Na!" 

By the time the set escalated into a tie break, Halep was bending over at the waist looking too spent to take another step. Bencic betrayed her cause with her eighth double fault, falling behind 1-3. Four points later, Halep lashed a running forehand strike down the line rousing Romanian fans into action and earning four set points. When Bencic sent a backhand beyond the baseline, both women gulped deep breaths preparing for the decider—before Halep departed for another break.

A thoroughly depleted Halep ended the match slumped in her seat, an ice towel draped around her neck and a vacant look in her eye. That premature ending should not detract from a pulsating Bencic breakthrough week.

Bencic beat all comers, scorching condition and a vocal Halep crowd in raising her 2015 record to 6-1 versus Top 10 opponents while looking like a player whose coming of age tournament could lead to even greater achievement at the season's final major in Flushing Meadows.

tennisnow.com

She thanked Martina Hingis' mom who's her coach, but didn't thank Martina Hingis. 

Oh well, as she said she's not that good at speeches yet.  

Still very gracious & composed though.  

Big things ahead for this teenager.  

It will be interesting to see how she does in Cincinnati this week.

Belinda Bencic stuns Serena Williams to reach Rogers Cup final in Toronto!

It’s become the mantra of playing against Serena Williams, the pre-emptive shoulder-shrug: “I’ve got nothing to lose.”


And then, predictably, they lose.


But nobody would have predicted this.


So long, Serena.


For the first time since 2009, there will be no Ms Williams, S., in Toronto for Sunday’s final of the Rogers Cup, a tour-stop she’s all but owned.


This is a slam-bam shocker, a rift cracking open, zig-zagging across the tennis landscape.


Teenager Belinda Bencic — often gauche, occasionally petulant, not infrequent inflictor of gross bodily harm against tennis racquets — knocked the veteran out of the tournament, out of town, and clear off her perch of invincibility.


With fan-boy-in-chief and longtime family friend Drake looking on morosely, SNAP went Williams’ 14-match win streak in T.O., 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, a confrontation that careered from a zip-blah 33-minute first set to a jaw-dropping comeback second set, to a break-riddled and double-fault littered, yet gutsy third set. Williams reached down in that final set for a fistful of her signature resilience, the no-quit dame we saw at the French Open, while her adversary clung tenaciously to an unsuspected depth of nerve.


Bencic, all of 18 years old, was relentless and merciless, even as she squandered what had seemed like too many opportunities to put Williams away in a third set which the Miss Swiss 2.0 had led 4-0, including a second game where the American had been schneided to love.


“I have nothing to lose,” Bencic had said the previous night, after dumping quarter-final opponent Ana Ivanovic, merely the fifth seed.


Williams, of course, was seeded first here — No. 1 in the world rankings, like forever.


Yet Bencic matched the 33-year-old for power and put immense pressure on Williams’ first serve, which went suddenly and unusually awry, disastrous actually. In the end, not even 16 signature aces could alter the swing of things.


“I cannot believe it now,” a teary and clearly gobsmacked Bencic said, while still on the court and with fireworks exploding overhead.


Turning to her gum-chewing, burst-his-buttons coach-dad: “Thank you for everything. Also to my mom. She is home.”


This as Williams was packing up her dolls and dishes, also the racquet she too had earlier destroyed in a fit of pique, and marching off the court with a wave — index finger extended, as if to remind she’s still the One, still No. 1 — to the crowd.


That audience first pulled for the underdog, the largely unheralded yet hard-charging Bencic from the nation of cuckoo clocks, chocolate, and tennis colossi, and then, as the outcome loomed, returned their affections to Williams. Because nobody likes to see a champion humbled. And there were several passages in this match when the upstart did precisely that to her elder by 15 years.


“Today was not my day,” Williams stated bluntly afterwards. “I think I played really crappy today. I’ll try to be politically correct. And I don’t think you’ll disagree.


“I played like an amateur, to be honest.”


Harsh. But not incorrect, certainly by her own standards, that level of unsurpassed excellence which many had reckoned would bring Williams a fourth Rogers Cup title, en route to the U.S. Open next month and all-but-assumed completion of a calendar Grand Slam — ownership of all four major championships in the same year.


“I was just really struggling with my serve. Everything was off, my toss was off.”


She graciously gave full credit to Bencic — this was only the teen’s second tour title — who she’d earlier this week described as the future of women’s tennis. She didn’t use the heavy tape on her right hand either — sprained fingers, suffered in her quarter-final win over Roberta Vinci — as an excuse. “I can play with swollen fingers. I don’t think it should take away from anybody’s win.”


Serena lifted her head up — unbowed, of course — to heap further praise on the girl who’d vanquished her. “I was proud of her. She did a really good job.”


Bencic’s own head was spinning. “I always told myself, it’s Serena Williams. I’m not going to expect she’s going to hand to me the match. I expect that’s she’s going to put up a great fight.’’


Up or down, hardly ever the latter, Williams remains an unstoppable — if, yes, beatable — force who still defies time and injury and wear, un-waning.


Looking goddess fabulous in the pages of The New Yorker fall fashion issue, whether poured into a curve-hugging sheath or flashing lithe in full frontal splits — thighs that could crack walnuts — or barely clad in maillot with cutout midriff revealing washboard abs. Designer chic, from the tennis fashionista diva (in every age phase of her career) who, with sister Venus, gave us clacking cornrow beads, black lace, rhinestone tiaras and knee-high sneaker boots.


Straight outta Compton. Except — not really. That’s the legend. The reality: Transplanted to the broken-glass littered concrete courts in Compton from the middle-class comfort of Long Beach, California, because dad Richard believed that rough environment would toughen up his girls, daughters conceived to launch a focused assault against the white, rich, privileged tennis establishment.


Well, awesomeness has its privileges too. Among them, an aura of the unconquerable: She who can’t be beaten.


Which probably hasn’t been so great for the sport, where once there had been a group in the top 10 who could always contend, mano-a-mano against Williams. Justine Henin was one of them. “When I was playing, I had the feeling that you were in the last 16 and really everyone could win the tournament. It was a great generation.’’


Now it’s over and over again Serena Williams vs. The World — or . . . fill in the finals blank.


But on this Sunday, Serena Williams’ name will be missing from the proceedings, as Bencic squares off against Romania’s Simona Halep, winner of the other semi yesterday.


Henin, formally inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame on the weekend, had a decade-plus rivalry with Williams, in another era. She remains in awe of the woman but never in thrall. Today’s women, she suggested, are de facto cowed, cowering across the net from Williams.


“I wish the girls can be more consistent and believe that they can beat Serena, because some players proved in the past that it is possible. I think they don’t believe in it enough. When you want to beat Serena, you need to be at your best all the time. First, you have to believe that you can do it.”


Bencic believed, even if she kept saying she couldn’t believe it.


Funny, in retrospect, that after Halep’s 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Italy’s Sara Errani, much of the press conference questioning focused on her presumed showdown with Williams 24 hours later. No one game more than a passing mention to Bencic, who’d already sent two of the top five seeds packing.


“I just want to believe that I have a chance,” Halep had said. “But I go without pressure. I have nothing to lose, just playing against No. 1 in the world.”


Make that No. 20 in the world.


No. 1 has left the building.

thestar.com

Belinda Bencic the new 'Swiss Miss' in the making?

TORONTO, Canada - Belinda Bencic's Toronto debut has been flawless. The 18-year-old Swiss star came into the Rogers Cup at a career-high of No.20 and battled through three tough wins to make her second Premier quarterfinal of the season. After beating Eugenie Bouchard in the first round, Bencic beat World No.5 Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets and then saved match point to beat Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 1-6, 7-6(3) on Thursday to book her spot in the quarterfinals.

"I beat three very good players, which I was watching on TV when I was small," Bencic said. "So it's like really a dream coming true now, being one of them and beating them and being in the quarterfinals here, my first appearance is just amazing."

Bencic's rise through the rankings over the last two years has been steady. Despite her Yonex attire being covered in more sponsor patches than any other player on tour, she has been able to operate outside of the searing spotlight of expectation that other WTA Rising Stars have had to endure.

A former junior No.1 and two-time junior Slam champion, Bencic's first full year on the WTA Tour came in 2014. She began the season ranked No.187 and finished the year inside the Top 40 with a final in Tianjin under her belt. After a slow start to 2015 - she started the season 1-5 at WTA events - Bencic found her game on her beloved grass.

"I mean we young players, we cannot be consistent like all the year," Bencic said. "It's really tough. And also, if you have tough draws and every first round you face a good player and you lose in three sets, it's kind of like not that you play bad, but you just have like bad momentum or something. And I really felt like I practiced really good starting in Paris, so there I won a good match against Daniela Hantuchova; I got killed by Madison Keys. But then on the grass I was just looking forward to all the year for the grass season, and I knew that it's going to be my time."

Sure enough, Bencic played some of her best tennis during the grass season. She made her second WTA final in 's-Hertogenbosch and then went on to win her first WTA title at Eastbourne, becoming the youngest to win a Premier title since Wozniacki in 2008. A fourth round run at Wimbledon soon followed, and now she's transferred that form and confidence to the hardcourts.

Tune into Bencic's matches and a few notable traits stand out. Her tactical prowess - honed under the guidance of Melanie Molitor and Martina Hingis - is evident. "She's different from most of the other young ones coming up," Wozniacki said after taking her third straight loss to the teenager. "She takes the ball early. She places the ball. She doesn't have the biggest power, but she thinks out there, and I think that's her biggest strength."

There's also her combustible nature, a quality that Bencic sheepishly owns up to. She is unapologetically emotional on court, which makes her a compelling watch. Rackets get thrown, thighs get slapped, groans to the sky get heard. But as she gains in experience she's learning how to keep things in a fine balance.

"I mean I know I shouldn't be doing that, but I am a very emotional person," Bencic said, laughing. "I feel like it helps. In my junior times and beginning of the tour I was way worse. So I try to be more calm and the matches before - just today it happened also a little bit. But I think it helps me a lot, to get pumped for the match, but also it's not good always. I mean something in between would be nice."

And then there's her ability to compete. Bencic knows how to win. She was a winner in her junior days and was not a heavy beneficiary of main draw wildcards when she began on tour. Bencic did it the hard way: By working her way through qualifying, often beating players ranked well ahead of her.

She admits to being in awe of the game's best when she first poked her head into the WTA locker room, but Bencic is far from a debutante now. She's earned her place amongst the best.

"When I played Serena in Madrid the first time, I already was like - I wasn't even playing. I was just staring at her like I'm playing her, you know? And now I feel like I really - I've seen them all in the players lounge and the locker room, so you can get used to that company. So you also try to play normal [against them]."

Normal is the watchword for Bencic. She has been tagged for greatness every since word got out that Melanie Molitor was working with a young tennis prodigy in Switzerland. The comparisons to Hingis were easy, though somewhat flawed given their different gamestyles. The key for Bencic, as she says, is to keep her feet on the ground.

"I'm really thankful for my team that they are not going to over-hype me," she said. "When you win some matches, the press and the media and the people get really excited and they tend to hype the player a lot. But I'm just trying not to get distracted by that and see myself just as I am on the practice court.

"The truth is on the court and not in the rankings or in the media or the popularity. So I think it's also a job from the people around you to keep you on the ground."

wtatennis.com


I mentioned Belinda Bencic a lot last year on the blog. 

But boy, is she coming into her own recently.  Getting into the semis of Rogers Cup beating 4 great players (she also defeated Anna Ivanovic in straight sets).  

This girl definitely has a bright future.  It's a testament to how great Martina & her mom are at mentoring new young talent.  

Next up for Bencic will be Serena Williams.  

I don't see Bencic winning that one, but it might be a great experience. 

Then again if Serena has an off day, one never knows...

Martina Hingis & Belinda Bencic early exit from Tokyo

Tokyo: Former world number one Martina Hingis and rising star Belinda Bencic ended their first time together as a dream doubles team for Switzerland in the Pan Pacific Open second round Thursday.

They bowed to the top-seeded pair of Zimbabwe`s Cara Black and Sania Mirza of India 6-4, 6-2 after winning their doubles debut match against Japan`s Rika Fujiwara and Taiwan`s Hsieh Shu-Ying 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.

But the Swiss duo, who have known each other for years despite the nearly 17-year age gap, said they might team up again in WTA events in China in the coming weeks, depending on how Hingis` usual partner Italian Flavia Pennetta recovers from a recent right-foot injury.

Hingis and Bencic broke Black`s serve in the third and seventh games of the first set. But they could not hold their service right after each of the games. They lost their serve in four games in the second set of the hour-long match.

"In the second set, we were falling apart. But in the first set, we definitely had chances," said Hingis, who turns 34 at the end of this month and has won five Grand Slam singles titles and nine doubles titles.

"It was a lot of fun to bring one of the best teams to have to play their best tennis," smiled Hingis, who made her second comeback from retirement in July last year but only as a doubles player.

Partnered by Pennetta, she lost to Russia`s Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the US Open final in New York two weeks ago.

Bencic, 17, currently ranked 34th in the world and who reached the US Open singles quarter-finals in only her fourth Grand Slam appearance, said: "It was fun to play with Martina."

"If we have used the chances, maybe we`d look a little bit different. A bit unlucky as I made some stupid mistakes."

Hingis said earlier Bencic was just four years old when she first met her. Her mother Melanie Molitor has trained Bencic for 10 years along with the youngster`s father Ivan.

Recalling the "momentum and challenges here and there" in the match, Hingis said: "To be on the same side with Belinda, I really enjoyed it. Hopefully we`ll do better."

Hingis is ranked 20th in the world doubles ranking and Bencic 255th.

Both of them will compete at the top-flight $4.5 million China Open starting in Beijing on September 29 and the low-tier $250,000 WTA event in Tianjin in the week of October 6. Hingis is also booked for another WTA event in China -- the Wuhan Open next week.

About another possible pairing with Bencic, Hingis said, "It depends on how we are going to do with Flavia (Pennetta) in the next two tournaments in China."

"There is Tianjin, so that would be another possibility."

zeenews.india.com

Martina Hingis & Belinda Bencic win first doubles together in Tokyo

Former world number one Martina Hingis and rising star Belinda Bencic made their debut as a dream doubles team for Switzerland Tuesday, winning their first match together at the Pan Pacific Open.

Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Hingis, 33, and 17-year-old Bencic, who reached the US Open quarter-finals two weeks ago, combined to oust Rika Fujiwara of Japan and Taiwan`s Hsieh Shu-Ying 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.

The all-Swiss pairing was announced as a wild card only last week after Hingis`s usual partner Flavia Pennetta of Italy pulled out of the $1 million tournament with a right-foot injury.

With Pennetta, Hingis reached the US Open final but her bid for a 10th major doubles title was denied by the Russian pairing of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.

Hingis, whose mother Melanie Molitor has trained Bencic for 10 years along with the youngster`s father Ivan, said she was committed to play with Pennetta at least until the end of this year. But a regular pairing with Bencic may be possible in the future.

"We`ll see. Maybe in the future there will be other opportunities for us to do this and that will be great," Hingis said.

The second-round opponents for the Swiss duo will be either the top-seeded pair of Zimbabwe`s Cara Black and Indian Sania Mirza or unseeded Casey Dellacqua of Australia and American Lisa Raymond.

"We had to figure out each other and what our strengths and weaknesses are and how to win matches," Hingis said of the first set.

"I think we got better throughout the match today. We`re really proud of that. We have now next steps to take."

Bencic said, "In the beginning I didn`t play that good. Then I came more into the match and Martina was helping me good."

"There was no reason to be really nervous," said Bencic, who has known Hingis since she was only four years old.

There were moments of great doubles play by the Swiss.

Leading 5-4 in the first set, Hingis`s backhand drop shot from the net hit cross court at set point after Bencic served.

On Hingis`s service, Bencic`s sharp passing shot landed inside a corner to put the team ahead 5-1 in the second set.

In the singles first round, sixth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia beat Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-3 and eighth-seeded Carla Suarez of Spain outlasted Japan`s Kurumi Nara 6-1, 2-6, 6-2.

The top four seeds, including world number eight Angelique Kerber of Germany and eighth-ranked and US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, took a bye into the second round.
zeenenews.india.com