By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 29, 2021
Belinda Bencic saved six set points in the first set subduing Elena Rybakina 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the Tokyo Olympics gold-medal match.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Belinda Bencic realized the dream with eyes wide open.
A spunky Bencic battled back from a break down in the final set surging through six of the last seven games subduing Elena Rybakina 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the Tokyo Olympics gold-medal match at Ariake Tennis Park.
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The ninth-seeded Swiss dropped to her knees and shed tears of joy wrapping up a tense two hour, 44-minute victory with a four-game run.
"[It means] everything in the world; it's unbelievable," Bencic said. "I cannot believe it right now. For now, it's really like a dream. I never expected this and now I can say I will have a medal. For me, it's a dream."
Bencic will play 2019 Roland Garros finalist Marketa Vondrousova for the Olympic gold medal.
The left-handed Vondrousova swept jittery fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-1 in 64 minutes. Deploying her devious drop shot, Vondrousova, who toppled world No. 2 Naomi Osaka in the third round, repeatedly dragged Svitolina off the baseline.
The 24-year-old Swiss faced a nervy stress test that saw her withstand 14 aces from Rybakina, survive 12 double faults and ride a rollercoaster of emotions that had her bouncing her Yonex racquet off the blue court in frustration at times. Bencic competed with vigor and exuded calm when it mattered most saving 10 of 16 break points. Rybakina had not dropped a set in reaching this semifinal, but a bold Bencic dug in with desire in the final stages.
"This match was just nerves," Bencic said. "If you really, really want it, you get tight. I's normal.
"I'm really happy I fought through it. We both wanted it so bad. At this moment there was no relaxing way to win the match. Of course I had emotions up and down, up and down. But at the end I was calm and I did it."
It was a match of missed opportunity for Rybakina, who led 5-2 and held six set points the first set and 3-2 in the last set but could not close either.
Serving for the opening set, Rybakina hit her first double fault to face double break point. Rybakina scorched her sixth ace to save the second break point, but sailed her second double fault to face a third break point. The Swiss stayed home in her backhand corner drawing a Rybakina error to break for 4-5 and get back on serve.
Rybakina sent a backhand down the line for a second set point in the 10th game, but followed with an error. Bencic staved off the stress saving three set points for her third straight game to level 5-all.
A sixth double fault from Bencic gave Rybakina a fifth set point, but the Swiss saved it after a nervous return. Bencic banged an ace to save a sixth set point then drove a backhand down the line for game point. Bencic fought through an eight-minute hold to force the tie breaker.
Perhaps ruing the lost opportunity, Rybakina committed three errors in the first five points of the tie breaker as Bencic went up 4-1. Bencic converted her second set point snatching a 73-minute opening set that saw her scrape through several tight service games.
It was the first set Rybakina lost in the tournament. The 22-year-old Kazakh opened the second set with a sloppy service game as Bencic broke for a 2-0 lead.
Continuing to fire away, Rybakina ripped a forehand return down the line to break back in the third game.
The 2019 US Open semifinalist spit up her 10th double fault and dropped her racquet in disgust, gifting the break and a 4-3 lead to Rybakina.
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The 20th-ranked Rybakina hammered a deep backhand to earn set point in the 10th game. This time Rybakina seized the moment, slashing her 12th ace down the middle to seal the second set and force a decider.
As both women coped with the heat and pressure, Rybakina stepped up and scalded a crosscourt forehand breaking to open the final set. Rybakina pumped her 13th ace to help her back up the break for 2-0.
Bencic successfully challenged a Rybakina serve that was ruled an ace but replay showed the serve landed long. Given a second shot at break point, Bencic handcuffed her opponent driving a deep return through the middle of the court to break back and level after four games.
The big-hitting Rybakina belted deep drives rattling out errors, scoring her sixth service break to edge ahead 3-2. Bencic broke right back by draining errors from the bigger hitter to level after six games. That break sparked the Swiss.
Stretching the court with precisely-placed backhands, Bencic earned double break point. The Swiss stepped in and spun a backhand return down the line breaking for a 5-3 lead.
Serving for the final, Bencic thumped an ace off the center stripe then drew an error for double match point. When Rybakina netted return Bencic dropped to her knees and pinched back tears reaching her first final since Adelaide at the start of the season.