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| Martina Hingis interviewing with future star? Meet Belinda Bencic! |
The comparison doesn't stop there. Belinda is also Swiss, and works with Melanie Molitor, who is, Martina Hingis’ mother. Perhaps this is where we will draw the line.
Every player dreams to make a name for him- or herself, and comparisons to some of the greatest is, frankly, a great disservice, so that's were I'll stop making any more.
Bencic's most noteworthy accomplishments so far are, that she made the Swiss Fed Cup team at the age of 15. At 16 she had wrapped up both the 2013 French Open and Wimbledon Junior Championships.
In 2014 before her 17th birthday, Belinda made it through qualifying into the Australian Open main draw, where, in her first round, she defeated Kimiko Date-Krumm.
To put in perspective just what type of competition the teenager faced... Kimiko Date-Krumm has made a career-high apprearance on the singles rankings at #4, way back in 1995 and herself can boast with a victory over then, world #1 Steffi Graf, at the hight of her powers. Arguably the best female singles player ever to grace the sport. But I digress.
Beating Date-Krumm in the 1st round and Australia set her up with a meeting with the eventual champion, Li Na, whom she very nearly took a set off. She was beaten in straight sets, but her resistance crumbled in a very close 2nd set tiebreak.
Mere weeks after, Belinda scored victories over Alize Cornet and Virginie Razzano, in Fed Cup play. Both players who have beaten Serena Williams, with Cornet having done just that on two occasions this year. The kind of maturity needed to withstand your opponents, as well as the partisan French crowd is immense, and Belinda made it look easy. She played both these matches with an intensity and calm that belies her tender age.
This is still just the beginning, even more impressively, Belinda qualified for the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, Virginia. Making an impressive run to the semi-finals. Winning 6 matches in a row... 6 in a row at a tournament is equivalent of a Final appearance at a Grand Slam, where you need to win 7 matches to win the biggest of prizes in Tennis. Here, she did JUST that...
Her performance at Charleston guaranteed her direct entry into Wimbledon, and with 4 victories on Grass even before Wimbledon started, I would imagine that she fancied her chances on the hallowed grass of the AELTC. Belinda made it through the first two rounds, I would say rather comfortably. Her trip was, unfortunately cut short by the in-form Simona Halep before we could really see what this youngen is capable of on grass. She clearly is no-slouch though. A defeat to Simona, however iss certainly no disgrace at this point.
Belinda at almost 15, started 2012 at a ranking of #1059 and ended it at #626. Let’s fast forward another year, ending 2013 at #212. With her phenomenal exploits on-court this year, she currently finds herself at a career high of 63, at merely 17 she is already threatening to break into the top 50 this year.
Such rapid progress up the rankings makes Belinda Bencic one to watch. We are looking at a true future contender on the WTA... perhaps even a future World #1.
Start following Belinda on Facebook
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