Barty overcomes Bencic at WTA Finals; set to secure year-end No. 1
In a first-time meeting that played out Sunday, the Australian closed in on history after posting a 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 victory.
Finding Belinda Bencic across the net for the first time, it was understandable Ashleigh Barty needed some time to feel out her opponent in a high-stakes match at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen. Playing in the second Red Group round-robin match on Sunday, Barty rallied from a set down, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, to all but clinch the WTA’s year-end No. 1 ranking. If Barty takes the court for her second round-robin match, she will become the 14th player and first Australian to achieve the feat.
Barty worked to mix up her speed and shape to the Swiss, known for preferring to redirect pace by taking ball strikes on the rise over creating her own power. After saving a break point in her opening service game, Bencic matched the French Open champion on serve and from the baseline. At 5-5, 40-30, Barty hit a double fault and later cut a backhand slice wide to get broken. Bencic closed out the set with an ace, leaving Barty to wipe the slate clean after committing 20 unforced errors.
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In the second set, Bencic double-faulted to fall behind 2-0, a lapse in concentration Barty ran with to create separation. The Australian won 15 of her 16 first serve points, anchored by her eighth ace, to level the match. Bencic had showed signs of discomfort in her left leg and received treatment on her left heel before beginning the decider.
Down 40-15, Barty reeled off four successive points to break for 2-1, assisted by a net cord that dribbled over. From there, the 23-year-old never looked back, putting her foot on the gas to win her WTA Finals singles debut.
"It was a pretty high-quality match," Barty reflected in an on-court interview. "It's a difficult court to get rhythm on at times, so it's important to try and neutralize when you can."
Barty improved to 53-11 on the season and equaled Bencic’s 2019 total of nine Top-10 victories.
