By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday June 23, 2019
Everything but the trophy.
It was all going in favor of Belinda Bencic on Sunday at the Mallorca Open. The Swiss was closing in on her fourth career title and stood perched at the precipice.
But American Sofia Kenin simply would not be denied—she saved all three championship points to break for 5-5 in the second set and then managed to find her way through a second-set tiebreaker before powering to a 6-7(2) 7-6(5) 6-4 victory and her second title of 2019.
Kenin improves to 25-12 in this her breakout season on the WTA Tour, and 8-1 lifetime at Mallorca where she reached the semis as a qualifier in 2018.
After squandering a 3-0 lead in the opener, Bencic was able to come through in a first-set breaker.
The Swiss broke for 5-4 in the second set an quickly found herself at championship point--at which time the match turned. Kenin saved all three and then clubbled a backhand winner down the line to draw even at 5-all.
In the second-set tiebreaker Bencic saved three set points but Kenin made good on her fourth when a Bencic block return sailed long of the baseline.
It was a nip-and-tuck battle throughout the contest, and the third set was no different, but Kenin elevated her game to claim a break in the ninth game and she proceeded to serve out the title in the next game.
In total, Bencic offered up 13 doubles-faults, including a crucial one on her third championship point and another that gave Kenin triple break point at 4-4 in the third.
Kenin was aggressive throughout, cracking 48 winners against 38 unforced errors to keep the pressure on Bencic as the Swiss seemed to struggle with nerves in the later stages of this two hour and 42 minute final.