Belinda Bencic Extends Her Reign Down Under
With a straight-sets demolition of Katie Boulter, Belinda Bencic ties her career-high winning streak at 12, channeling post-maternity fire into Melbourne’s unforgiving heat.
Under Melbourne’s baking sun, Belinda Bencic carved through Katie Boulter like a precision serve, securing a 6-0, 7-5 victory in the Australian Open first round. The No. 10 seed’s groundstrokes landed with thudding authority, her heavy topspin forehands pushing Boulter back until errors piled up on the baseline. This win stretches her singles streak to 12 matches, matching the tour-level high she hit in 2019, all while the crowd on Rod Laver Arena sensed the quiet intensity of a player reclaiming her edge.
“It was ‘Belinda’s world’ two weeks ago at the United Cup,” teammate Stan Wawrinka had said.
That phrase captured her 9-1 record there, including a flawless 5-0 in singles, which earned her MVP honors and carried Switzerland to the final. Bencic’s form has held firm since her last loss, a gritty 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 defeat to Jasmine Paolini in October’s Ningbo quarterfinals. She bounced back with her 10th WTA title in Tokyo, reached the Hong Kong quarterfinals before a left thigh injury forced her withdrawal—preserving the streak—and then dominated the United Cup to reenter the Top 10 for the first time since March 2023.
Momentum builds from team triumph
The United Cup’s team vibe lingers in Bencic’s solo campaign, a psychological anchor amid the Australian Open’s individual grind. Her return from maternity leave in October 2024 has layered extra weight onto each victory, blending tactical sharpness with the raw drive of personal reinvention. On the court, she mixed crosscourt backhands with inside-out forehands, keeping Boulter off-balance and turning potential rallies into quick points.
Bencic’s serve held rock-solid, with varied placements that neutralized Boulter’s returns, while her returns targeted the body to sap power from the Briton’s big swings. The first set’s bagel spoke to total control, but the second set’s 7-5 finish tested her reset button as Boulter clawed back with down-the-line winners. Drawing on United Cup resilience, Bencic steadied with slice approaches that drew volleys into the net, her focused changeover rituals warding off doubt.
Hard-court patterns echo past peaks
Melbourne’s plexicushion surface suits Bencic’s penetrating shots, the predictable bounce amplifying her low-trajectory groundstrokes that skid and bite. This streak echoes her 2019 run of 12 wins, fueled by an unbeaten Billie Jean King Cup campaign, a Dubai title, and an Indian Wells semifinal before Angelique Kerber ended it. Back then, she was ascending; now, post-injury and motherhood, the victories carry deeper emotional pull, each one a step against time’s relentless clock.
Against Boulter, Bencic’s one–two punch—serve followed by a forehand inside-in—dictated tempo, forcing errors in extended exchanges under the humid air. She conceded zero breaks, her efficiency on Australian Open scores underscoring a game refined for hard courts. The crowd’s murmurs grew as the match tightened, yet Bencic’s calm demeanor turned pressure into fuel, her footwork crisp despite the heat’s toll.
Round two sharpens the challenge
Next, Bencic eyes either Daria Kasatkina or qualifier Nikola Bartunkova, a clash that could push her streak to 13 and carve a new career mark. Kasatkina’s flat strokes would demand deeper topspin to shove her back, while Bartunkova’s qualifier hunger might stretch rallies in the rising humidity. Bencic’s versatility—aggressive net rushes mixed with baseline depth—positions her to extend the run, leaning on recent adjustments that turn opponents into familiar puzzles.
The draws and order of play shift with each round, but her focus stays locked on the baseline, where every swing rebuilds her narrative. This Australian Open campaign, rooted in United Cup glory, tests not just her shots but the mental steel forged through comeback’s quiet battles. As Melbourne’s nights cool, Bencic’s world expands, one unerring point at a time.
