Swiss tennis star, Belinda Bencic, is through to the finals of the WTA 500 Adelaide International. In the semi-finals, she prevailed against the persistent 16-year-old American, Coco Gauff.
It was not a dream start to the 2021 season for the 23-year-old Swiss professional. Being the eleventh seed at the Australian Open 2021, she faced an upset in the third round against Elise Mertens.
Belinda had confessed that she was not feeling good about her form throughout the Grand Slam. Now, she has finally found her happy place in the game and is performing incredibly.
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Bencic in renewed spirit at WTA 500 Adelaide International
Primarily, the American teenage sensation Coco Gauff played a significant role in Adelaide. In the last six days, she won four three-set matches and five overall. This helped her reach her career-high rank of 38.
Unlike the last tournament she played, Belinda Bencic was a much more fierce competitor in Adelaide. She had an air of confidence around her in both the tiebreaks the American caused.
Learning from her past mistakes, the World No. 12 again found a way to dominate her opponents. Moreover, she is in great shape, both tennis-wise and fitness-wise.
Belinda halted the American’s dream run 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2. After the match, she congratulated Coco for a great tournament.
Moving forward, Belinda would hope to continue her rhythm. Tomorrow, she will face the reigning French Open champion, Iga Swiatek, in the final.
From here on, the most important thing for the Swiss would be to stay clear from injuries. Similar to most athletes, she has had a chequered past with injuries, and just like them, she has learned some very valuable lessons.
Read More: ‘Late Nights and Early Mornings’: Coco Gauff Opens Up on Juggling Tennis and School
Belinda Bencic opens up on her experience with injuries
In the on-court interview, Belinda recalled the pains of her past injuries. She also talked about the lessons she learned from all the setbacks.
“It’s very difficult. At the time, you have an injury, it’s very frustrating, but after that, you are grateful because they can show you somethings that may be better for the future,” she said.
Furthermore, she illustrated the importance of a team.
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“Every athlete has injuries, so I think it is important to deal with it, to have the right team to put you back up. I keep enjoying it more, I have more perspective,” she added.
At last, she revealed how she changed over the years, learning from her injuries.
“Before the first injury, I was taking everything for granted, and now I am just grateful for everything,” she concluded.
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Hopefully, Belinda will keep climbing and bag her first WTA title in 2021 tomorrow.
Also Read: “One of the Saddest Days”: Marion Bartoli Opens Up on Serena Williams’ Retirement
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