Bencic advances to Toronto showdown against Serena Williams
It will be Belinda Bencic against Serena Williams in the second round of the Toronto WTA 1000 following Bencic’s win on Tuesday. The Swiss prevailed in straight sets over Tereza Martincova.
Tennis – Mubadala World Tennis Championship – International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 16, 2021 Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in action during her match against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur || 215796_0052 2021 Abu Dabi sport tennis
Serena Williams’ first match following her retirement announcement will come against Belinda Bencic.
With Williams having already advanced at the National Bank Open with her victory over Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Monday, Bencic joined the 40-year-old American in round two by beating Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday evening. The Swiss advanced after one hour and 16 minutes of play.
Finished in style 💃
— wta (@WTA) August 9, 2022
2015 Toronto champ 🇨🇭 @BelindaBencic sets up a rematch of that year's semifinal against Serena Williams in Round 2!#NBO22 pic.twitter.com/YEKIlu864D
Bencic vs Williams is a rematch of the 2015 Toronto semi-finals
Wednesday marks the fifth meeting between Williams and Bencic. The 23-time Grand Slam champion owns a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head series, but they faced each other in the semi-finals of this same event in 2015 and the Swiss pulled off a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 upset.
WTA Toronto, other first-round matches and results:
- Daria Kasatkina vs. Bianca Andreescu
- Kaia Kanepi beat Naomi Osaka: 7-6 (4), 3-0 ret.
- Amanda Anisimova beat Carol Zhao (WC): 6-1, 6-3
- Shuai Zhang beat Cristina Bucsa: 6-1, 6-3
- Camila Giorgi beat Emma Raducanu (9): 7-6(0), 6-2
- Ajla Tomljanovic (Q) beat Veronika Kudermetova: 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(3)
- Elise Mertens beat Anna Bondar: 7-6 (2), 6-1
- Coco Gauff (10) beat Madison Brengle (Q): 6-1, 6-3
- Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Claire Liu (Q): 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6(5)
- Qinwen Zheng beat Rebecca Marino (WC): 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4
- Jil Teichmann beat Venus Williams (WC): 6-2, 6-3
- Alison Riske-Amritraj beat Petra Kvitova: 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
- Yulia Putintseva beat Katherine Sebov (WC): 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
- Leylah Fernandez (13) beat Storm Sanders (Q): 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3
- Alize Cornet beat Caroline Garcia: 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
- Asia Muhammad (Q) beat Madison Keys: 7-6(5), 6-4
- Sloane Stephens beat Sofia Kenin: 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5
- Karolina Pliskova (14) beat Barbora Krejcikova: 6-3, 6-4
- Jelena Ostapenko (16) beat Anhelina Kalinina: 6-4, 6-2
- Serena Williams beat Nuria Parrizas Diaz (LL): 6-3, 6-4
- Simona Halep (15) beat Donna Vekic (LL): 6-0, 6-2
- Elena Rybakina beat Marie Bouzkova (Q): 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-1
- Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Martina Trevisan: 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
