By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, February 22, 2019
Belinda Bencic battled back from 3-5 down in the decider dethroning two-time defending Dubai champion Elina Svitolina, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3), in a thriller.
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Facebook
Racing near the doubles alley, Belinda Bencic conjured a clever rainbow lob into night sky to land a spot in the Dubai final.
Bencic battled back from 3-5 down in the decider lifting a brilliant lob on her fourth match point to dethrone two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3), in a thriller.
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The 45th-ranked Swiss scored her third straight Top 10 victory following three-set comeback conquests of Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep.
Svitolina served for her third straight Dubai final at 5-4 in the final set, but could not close. Bencic snapped Svitolina's 12-match Dubai winning streak, denying the world No. 6 her shot to become the first woman to three-peat in the tournament's 19-year-history.
It has been a week of pulsating comebacks for Bencic, who saved six match points edging Sabalenka, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (6), in the round of 16 before rallying past former No. 1 Halep, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in yesterday's quarterfinals.
Comebacks are contagious.
"I kind of like long matches; I feel like I'm playing better when I'm 3-5 down, so I should try the next match as well," Bencic told Annabel Croft afterward. "I think I'm relaxed, but I'm still fighting. I feel much freer. I have nothing to lose so that's why (I've come back)."
It was Bencic's seventh straight win and sends her into her first Premier-level final since she defeated Halep to win the 2015 Toronto title.
Bencic, who is projected to return to the Top 30 for the first time since September, 2016, will face Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova in tomorrow's final.
The second-seeded Kvitova rallied past Sui-Wei Hsieh, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, to reach her second Dubai final.
The 2013 champion overpowered the clever veteran beating Hsieh for the second time in a month following her 7-6 (2), 6-2, victory in Sydney last month.
Kvitova will carry a 17-3 record into her third final of the season. The two-time Wimbledon champion is 3-0 lifetime vs. Bencic, including a 6-1, 6-4, sweep in the Australian Open third round last month.
“(Kvitova) is in great form at the moment, especially after the Australian Open final where I was rooting for her simply because she is a great champion and she deserved to win it," Bencic said. "It will be an honor to play her in the final here. I will give my best tomorrow and try to win it."
Prowling the baseline in a predatory posture, Bencic was taking the ball on the rise pounding shots into the corners earning triple break point in the fifth game.
Stepping inside the court, Bencic banged a diagonal backhand return breaking at 15 for 4-1.
The defending champion called out coach Andrew Bettles for a consultation, but Bencic rode the wave efficiently. Breezing through a quick hold, Bencic had won 10 of 12 points closing with an ace for 5-1.
Svitolina stopped her slide snapping off an ace for her second hold of the day 22 minutes into the match.
The 21-year-old Swiss spread the court beautifully converting her second set point when Svitolina slapped a forehand into the tape. Bencic played clean combinations hitting eight winners against five unforced errors and dropping only four points on serve in a controlled 26-minute set.
Returning to serve after a bathroom break, Svitolina couldn't shake the stress the Swiss imposed on her second serve. Floating a double fault to face double break point, Svitolina had barely finished her serve motion when Bencic belted a forehand bullet return down the line breaking to start the second set.
Managing just four points on return in the entire first set, Svitolina matched that in one game sweeping a forehand crosscourt to cap a love break.
Solid resistance helped Svitolina exploit a sloppy stretch to break in the sixth game. A lob befuddled Bencic who sprayed a smash wide then over-hit a swing volley gifting a love break and 4-2 lead to the champion. Svitolina gave the good fortune right back, double faulting back the break in the seventh game.
Svitolina scored the seventh break of the match to forge a 5-3 lead. Staring down a break point, Svitolina slashed an ace down the middle to erase it then stung another ace wide sealing the second set and forcing a decider.
Continuing to take the ball a bit earlier, Bencic tamed her stray forehand zapping a diagonal forehand to hold at 30 for 3-2.
Two games later, Svitolina was testing the forehand again before draining an errant forehand wide to earn the first break for 4-3.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian stuck a shot smack off the baseline holding in the eighth game before Bencic hit an ace forcing Svitolina to serve for her third straight Dubai final.
Svitolina stumbled landing just one second serve and double faulting back the break for 5-all at the 99-minute mark.
Staring with her seven double fault, a skittish Svitolina stared down double match point serving at 5-6 to force the tiebreaker. Bencic sailed a forehand on the first then Svitolina smacked a bold backhand into the corner to save the second match point.
Jamming a diagonal forehand into the corner, Bencic streaked forward and swept a forehand drive volley for a third match point. Svitolina smacked an ace wide to deny it.
Staving off all three match points, a fired-up Svitolina waved her arms exhorting fans to make more noise ahead of the final tie breaker.
Earlier, Kvitova crunched a forehand winner down the line converting her fourth set point to force a decider against Hsieh.
Charging net, Kvitova showed her versatility angling off a backhand volley to open the court, floating to cover the line then punching a forehand volley to break in the opening game of the final set.
That spike a run of three straight breaks. Kvitova never looked back closing a two hour, nine-minute victory at love, improving her 2019 three-set record to 5-1 with the lone loss coming to Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open final.