Belinda Bencic Ends Coco Gauff’s Fairytale Run at WTA Adelaide International 2021

Published 02/26/2021, 5:57 AM EST

American teenager, Coco Gauff, took on Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the semifinal of the Adelaide International 2021. It was their first meeting and the Swiss star played with composure in the crucial moments, which made the difference and helped her win the match 7-6 6-7 6-2.

In the opening set, the unseeded Gauff held her serve and took a 1-0 lead. The American player started on a high note, breaking her opponent in her first service game. After less than 15 minutes, Coco rushed to a 3-0 lead. However, Belinda had other plans and quickly struck back in the seventh game, serving at 3-4.

Coco Gauff lost the opening set against Belinda Bencic in a tie-breaker

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After 30 minutes, the match was poised at 4-4. The first set went into a tiebreaker and Bencic got the mini-break and took a 3-1 lead. After close to an hour, the player from Switzerland clinched the opening set, 7-6. The American took control of the set initially but failed to hold her nerve and faltered during the important moments.

As the next set began, the second-seeded Belinda Bencic held serve in the opening game after registering three double faults. In the next game, Gauff failed to hold the serve and her opponent soon took a 2-0 lead, putting herself in command. Less than 10 minutes into the set, the Swiss tennis player raced to a 3-0 lead.

The American player opened her account in the fourth game of the second set. During the seventh game, Gauff fought back and broke Bencic to serve at 3-4. Whenever the young American displayed signs of coming back into the match, the Swiss athlete found a way to avoid her opponent’s advances and broke her in the next game.

To add a further twist, the young teenager took the match into a second tiebreaker. After saving match points, the 16-year-old took the second set 7-6.

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Well well well… 👁👄👁@CocoGauff saves a match point, edges the second tiebreak and we're going to a final set!

Who will join Swiatek in the #AdelaideTennis final?! pic.twitter.com/VphPJpno9n
— wta (@WTA) February 26, 2021

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Gauff began serving in the final set and was broken in the first game. Belinda consolidated the break and took a 2-0 lead. In the fifth game of the decider, the former World No. 4 extended her lead by breaking Gauff for the second time in the set. After close to three hours, Bencic sealed the set 6-2 and booked a spot in the final.

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Rohan Kollare is a tennis author for EssentiallySports. Rohan has a post-graduate diploma in Sports Management and a trophy cabinet adorned with accolades won in district and state-level tennis competitions. He has previously worked in Content Operations for Disney’s Hotstar for over a year, covering tennis and Formula One.

Belinda Bencic Ends Coco Gauff’s Fairytale Run at WTA Adelaide International 2021

Coco Gauff lost the opening set against Belinda Bencic in a tie-breaker

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