US Open: Bencic battles past Zhu to reach the last 16, to meet Cirstea next
Belinda Bencic won against Lin Zhu 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3. She’ll face the winner of the match between Elena Rybakina and Cirstea in the next round
Belinda Bencic US Open – Imago / Panoramic
Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 15 seed, moved into the last 16 of the US Open by beating Chinese Lin Zhu 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“(I’m) pleased that I pulled it out in the end. It was a difficult match, for sure, like a roller coaster, up and down,” Bencic said after the win. “I think it was some good rallies there, as well. In the end it was really just a battle so I’m happy I pulled it through. I’m really happy that in the third set I found it again and I pulled it through when it mattered the most.”
Bencic, ranked No 13, will face Romanian Sorana Cirstea, the No 30 seed, for a spot in the quarter-finals. With her three wins this week, Bencic has now won 21 matches at the US Open, including a semi-final appearance in 2019 and two quarter-final appearances. That’s makes New York her most successful Grand Slam venue by far – she has 15 wins at the Australian Open, 14 at Wimbledon and seven at the French Open.
“The conditions suits me. The hard court is a good speed I think for my game. This year we have different balls, but still I think the air is pretty humid also in the day and in the night, so it’s not flying like crazy like Indian Wells, let’s say. I think it suits me very good. From the first time I was here, I really enjoy to be here. It’s the biggest stage so I really want to win. I’m trying and fighting my best in the matches.”
Ahead of her victory, the Swiss won against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova (6-2, 6-4) and qualifier Yuriko Miyazaki (6-3, 6-3).
Zhu, ranked No 44, defeated Egyptian Mayar Sherif (6-3, 7-5) and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 18 seed (6-3, 6-3) in the previous rounds of the Flushing Meadow tournament.
New York (Grand Slam), other third-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):
- Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Marketa Vondrousova
- Ons Jabeur vs. Marie Bouzkova
- Katie Boulter vs. Peyton Stearns
- Qinwen Zheng vs. Lucia Bronzetti
- Elina Svitolina vs. Jessica Pegula
- Liudmila Samsonova vs. Madison Keys
- Clara Burel vs. Aryna Sabalenka
- Daria Kasatkina vs. Greet Minnen
- Elena Rybakina vs. Sorana Cirstea: saturday
- Coco Gauff (6) beat Elise Mertens (32): 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
- Caroline Wozniacki (WC) beat Jennifer Brady: 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
- Jelena Ostapenko (20) beat Bernarda Pera: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
- Iga Swiatek (1) beat Kaja Juvan (Q): 6-0, 6-1
- Xinyu Wang beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova: 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
- Karolina Muchova (10) beat Taylor Townsend: 7-6, 6-3
