By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 19, 2019
Belinda Bencic beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4 powering into the Moscow final and securing the eighth and final spot in the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
Photo credit: KremlinCup.ru
A beaming Belinda Bencic tossed her racquet aside and jumped for joy on the Kremlin Cup court.
The Swiss No. 1 stuck a historic landing.
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Bencic beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4 powering into the Moscow final and securing the eighth and final spot in the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
The victory vaults Bencic past Kiki Bertens and Serena Williams into the season-ending event for the first time with a sharp one hour, 35-minute conquest of her friend and former doubles partner.
"Obviously I'm gonna say finals of Moscow [makes me happy] while I'm here," Bencic said. "Obviously, also happy I reached the final eight. It was a huge, huge goal for me this season. For me, it was like last last minute.
"I couldn't be happier. I was so nervous before the match. Finals tomorrow is also amazing I'm so relieved."
The third-seeded Bencic will play either Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Czech Karolina Muchova in Sunday's final.
World No. 1 doubles player Mladenovic had won three of four career meetings with Bencic, whose lone prior win over the Frenchwoman came four years ago on grass.
The pressure of playing for the Moscow final and first WTA Finals did not faze Bencic at the outset as she broke in Mladenovic's opening service game snatching a 3-0 lead.
Mladenovic, who toppled the second-seeded Bertens yesterday, broke back in the fifth game then held to level at 3-all.
Driving her backhand crosscourt, Bencic hit precise passing shots to break again for 5-3. The Swiss saved a break point serving out the 46-minute first set on the strength of 13 winners compared to seven errors.
Mladenovic continued to press forward in the second set and had some success with angled volleys.
"I think it was such a good battle from us," Bencic said. "I think we know each other very well so that's why it was very tactical.
"I just tried to really focus on myself and keep my emotions under control. Sometimes I manage it sometimes not so much. Also, I'm so happy how I fought the entire tournament."
On this day, Bencic's ball-control skills were too much for her former doubles partner. The pair traded breaks in the third and fourth games.
Bencic broke at love in the ninth game tearing through 10 consecutive points to close the match and join Mladenovic, who is defending WTA Finals doubles champion, qualifying for Shenzhen.