German Open Tennis Live: Olympic champion Belinda Bencic is into the final of Berlin’s WTA grass-court tournament after fighting back to see off second seed Maria Sakkari following a three-hour tussle in sweltering conditions. Follow German Open Tennis Live Updates with InsideSport.IN
Bencic rallied from losing the hard-fought first set, which lasted 76 minutes, to secure a 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 win in temperatures of around 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit).
German Open Tennis Live: German Open Tennis Live: Belinda Bencic sees off Maria Sakkari to reach Berlin final
Bencic held a set point at 6-5 in the first-set tiebreak, but Sakkari erased that chance. The Greek then fired a backhand winner to garner her first set point at 7-6. A return winner off the netcord gave Sakkari the first set after 72 topsy-turvy minutes.
In the second set, though, Bencic grabbed the lead with aplomb, holding at love for 5-4 with three straight backhand winners followed by an ace. Bencic then converted her fifth break point of the next game with a return winner, leveling the match.
For the second set in a row, there were no breaks through 5-4 as the third set stayed closely contested. But once again, Bencic took her chance in the tenth game, converting her third match point by following up a strong backhand with a putaway winner.
Bencic, who won the singles Olympic title in Tokyo last year, will face either top seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia or American teenager Coco Gauff in Sunday’s final.
German Open Tennis Live: German Open Tennis Live: Belinda Bencic sees off Maria Sakkari to reach Berlin final
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