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TennisBelinda Bencic hunts a place for the Masters
The Saint-Gallen player, currently twelfth in the Race, is playing her last card this week at the WTA 1000 tournament in Guadalajara (Mexico).
Will Belinda Bencic manage to get invited to the Fort Worth Masters?
IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
Will Belinda Bencic be able to secure a place for the 2022 Women’s Masters, which will take place from October 31 to November 7 in Fort Worth? The 25-year-old Saint-Galloise, fifteenth player in the world, in any case knocks down her last card this week at the WTA 1000 tournament in Guadalajara (Mexico).
Currently, Bencic is in twelfth place in the “Race” ranking, established on the results of the current season and whose first eight players will qualify for the Masters. She has a total of 2360 points, 301 points behind Simona Halep, currently eighth and last provisional qualifier. But the Romanian, recovering from nose surgery, announced a month ago that she would not play again this season.
Bencic must therefore have the Russian Veronika Kudermetova in her sights: she is currently 9th in the “Race”, with 2606 points – ie 246 ahead of Bencic. In Guadalajara, Bencic is not in the same half of the table as Kudermetova. If direct opposition there should be, it could therefore only be in the final.
Facing Leylah Fernandez
Bencic will be opposed in the 32nd round, Monday or Tuesday, to the Canadian Leylah Fernandez (20 years old / WTA 39), finalist of the US Open in 2021. In the event of victory, the Saint-Galloise will face in the 16th round the winner of the meeting between the American Sloane Stephens (29 years old / WTA 52) and a qualified.
As it stands, three players are guaranteed to participate in the Masters: the Polish Iga Swiatek, world No. 1, her Tunisian runner-up Ons Jabeur, and the American Jessica Pegula.
Finally, note that Belinda Bencic will not be the only Swiss engaged in Guadalajara. Biel’s Jil Teichmann (25/WTA 38) is also in the main draw. She will face the Canadian Bianca Andreescu (22 years old / WTA 57), who won the US Open in 2019, in the first round.