Belinda Bencic has reached her first semifinal since launching her post-pregnancy comeback after beating Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-3 in the Abu Dhabi quarterfinal.
A day earlier, the Swiss registered an absolutely impressive 6-0 6-0 win over Veronika Kudermetova.
While the former world No. 4 didn’t deliver the most consistent of performance against Vondrousova, she came up big when it mattered the most and claimed another two-set win despite losing her serve four times during the match.
Now, Bencic – who beat the Czech in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics final – owns a 4-1 head-to-head record against the former world No. 6.
For a place in the Abu Dhabi final, the Swiss wildcard will be playing against either top-seeded Elena Rybakina or three-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur.
How Bencic overcame Vondrousova?
Early in the first set, the Swiss claimed a break but got broken back in the sixth game as the score was tied to three games apiece.
Then in the next five games, as many breaks were seen as Bencic led 6-5.
After blowing a break three times earlier in the set, the former world No. 4 finally held to one of her service games and closed out the set in the 12th game.
Just as was the case in the first set, the 27-year-old had an early break but Vondrousova managed to get it back and even the set to two games apiece.
However, Bencic stayed calm as she went on to claim breaks in the fifth and ninth games and complete a two-set win.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, who returned to tennis in late October, already has 10 wins in 2025.
Rybakina or Jabeur definitely won’t be easy matchups but the Swiss is in great form and she is absolutely a contender for the Abu Dhabi title.
Tennis World USA