By Adrianna Outlaw | Friday, June 12, 2015
Belinda Bencic saved three match points in a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5 victory over Kristina Mladenovic.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Match points were starting points for a pair of inspired comebacks at the Topshelf Open.
Belinda Bencic and Camila Giorgi each saved three match points in rousing three-set victories to reach the 's-Hertogenbosch semifinals.
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Giorgi overcame an astounding 23 double faults defeating Yaroslava Shvedova, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9), to reach her first WTA semifinal since Katowice in April.
Fighting back from a break down in both the second and third sets, the fifth-seeded Italian staved off all three match points in the decisive tie break — at 6-7, at 7-8 andthe third match point at 8-9 — winning the final three points to end a wild two hour and 27-minute adventure.
"The most important thing for me in this match was focus," Giorgi said. "Whether I was having good points or bad points, once the point was over, I just thought about the next one, then the next one. It was a really tough match, especially at the end, and I'm really happy I made it through."
The 35th-ranked Italian takes on home hope Kiki Bertens, who continued her strong run through the field.
The Dutch No. 1 downed defending champion CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-4, 6-1, without surrendering serve in the 77-minute match.
It will be the first meeting between Bertens and Giorgi.
Major shifts in momentum and match points on both sides marked Bencic's 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5 victory over Kristina Mladenovic.
The No. 4 seed Bencic earned the first match point at 6-5 in the second set on Mladenovic's serve. The seventh-seeded Frenchwoman held off that challenge, held serve then prevailed in the second-set tie break.
Mladenovic served for the semifinals and held three match points at 5-3 in the decider, but Bencic battled back withstanding 16 aces from her opponent. She broke four times in the final set to pull out a two hour, 51-minute thriller.
"I had match point in the second set and she turned the match around — she was playing very, very well," Bencic said. "She had so many chances to close it out at 5-3 in the third set but I just tried to play without fear, and the match turned again. I was so happy I could close it out with two great serves."
No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic will face Bencic for a spot in the final. The former world No. 1 swept Annika Beck, 6-4, 6-1. The 30th-ranked Jankovic beat Bencic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, on hard courts at Indian Wells in March. That win came after Bencic surprised the Serbian at the 2014 U.S. Open.