Following a year-long break due to pregnancy, Swiss tennis player Belinda Bencic made the ideal comeback to competitive tennis. At the W75 Hamburg on Wednesday, Bencic defeated Julia Avdeeva of Russia in straight sets, accompanied by her boyfriend Martin Hromkovic and newborn daughter Bella.
In the opening game of the Round of 32 match, Bencic broke Avdeeva. In the sixth game, the Russian broke back to serve, but the Swiss improved her game and won the set by converting two more break points.
In the second set, Bencic calmed herself by threatening a bagel with consecutive breaks on Avdeeva’s serve. Despite saving four match points overall and saving a game, her opponent was unable to prevent the defeat. The match lasted seventy-three minutes, and Bencic won 6-3, 6-1.
The former world No. 4 celebrated her first victory as a mother on Instagram a few hours later.
She wrote on Instagram with lovely pictures of her family: “And we are back! With one more member to our team. Thank you to @hamburger_tennisverband for the WC, and round 2️ we go tomorrow! Baby steps forward.”
It had been 13 months since Belinda Bencic last competed. She was the fifth seed and lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Round of 32 at the San Diego Open in September 2023.
Belinda Bencic in 2024
Currently the world no.280, Belinda played her last match on the 30th of October when she defeated world no.238 Julia Avdeeva 6-3 6-1
in the 1st round of the W75 Hamburg (draw).During this season Belinda has achieved an overall 1-0 match record.
Belinda Bencic will take on the world no.296 Anastasia Kulikova in the 2nd round. In the past, they have never competed against each other till now in top competitions.
The Swiss won 8 titles in her career: 5 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
Belinda Bencic in 2024
At the moment ranked no.280, Bencic played her last match on the 30th of October when she defeated world no.238 Julia Avdeeva 6-3 6-1 in the 1st round of the W75 Hamburg (draw).
This season Bencic has managed to achieve an overall 1-0 win-loss record.
Belinda Bencic will take on the world no.296 Anastasia Kulikova in the 2nd round. They have never played each other as of now on the main tour.
Belinda won 8 titles in her career: 5 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)