Why Belinda Bencic could spring a shock against Serena Williams
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Updated 16/01/2017 at 10:03 GMT
We look into Serena Williams' unseeded opponent, Belinda Bencic, who is confident ahead of her tie despite her low ranking.
Belinda Bencic
Image credit: Reuters
Williams starts as strong favourite in almost any match she goes into, but her opponent, the 19-year-old Bencic, is more than capable of pulling off an upset.
Bencic has more talent than her current ranking of 59 suggests. She has previously been ranked as high as seventh in the world, but recurrent back problems have sent her down the table, and she is unseeded for the Open. Bencic said of her struggles, "Last year was very tough. I got one injury, then it was a circle into the next one."
However, Swiss star Bencic is a confident player, and won't be cowed by taking on the best player in the history of women's tennis. She described her happiness about the draw:
My Twitter was blowing up. I was like, 'what's going on?' That's when I saw it. My first reaction was actually really happy. So I think I'm super pumped [and] excited I get to play on the big court, I guess. We're going to play on the big court. It's a big match, playing against Serena Williams. It's what everyone's working for. To play Australian Open, of course like first round, but that's how it is. I'm just pumped about it.
Bencic is currently coached by Martina Hingis's mother, Melanie Molitor, and also by her father, whom she travels with on the tour. Perhaps because of her coaching and her nationality, she has on occasion been compared to Hingis in her style of play.
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Belinda Bencic of Switzerland is congratulated by Serena Williams of the USA during Day 6 of the Rogers Cup at the Aviva Centre on August 15, 2015
Image credit: AFP
She made her competitive debut in 2011, and broke into the top 30 in 2014. The following year she made the top 20 and won her first WTA events, at Eastbourne and Toronto, but her back problems have made this season one of a comeback rather than more guaranteed success.
Bencic says she has a gameplan to use from her last victory over Willliams, in the 2015 Rogers Cup, but will not give any details to preserve her chances.
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