Bett1 Open: Ons Jabeur, Belinda Bencic to renew rivalry in finale in German capital

Ons Jabeur and Belinda Bencic will play the final of the Bett1 Open in Berlin on Sunday after making it to the title round on Saturday. In the first semi-final, Bencic came through against Maria Sakkari while later, Jabeur got past Coco Gauff in their semi.

The eighth-seeded Swiss, who’s the defending finalist this week, needed three hours and seven minutes to take down the second-seeded Greek, 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-4. Bencic dictated the momentum of the match and although Sakkari was able to save a set point in the opening set and convert one of her own to go up in the match, in the latter two sets there wasn’t much she was able to do. Sakkari did save two match points on her serve in the 10th game of the deciding set but Bencic capitalised on the third to pocket the win.

Speaking with the press after her win, Bencic said, “I thought that was an incredible match. We both kind of pushed really hard, we both didn’t give each other anything. I think it was high quality, of course, we held our serves as much as we could, and I really felt like we put on a show there.”

Bett1 Open: Ons Jabeur stops Coco Gauff’s run

Bencic’s opponent, Jabeur, secured a straight-sets, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Gauff in an hour and 17 minutes. Jabeur won almost 76% of her first-serve points to Gauff’s 64% and 63% of her second-serve points to the latter’s 32%. Jabeur lost her serve twice but converted four break points on Gauff’s serve.

This was Jabeur’s only second win against Gauff in five meetings. The latter had won their most recent encounter – in the fourth round of the French Open this year, en route to reaching the final.

In the Bett1 Open final against Belinda Bencic, Ons Jabeur once again carries a negative head-to-head albeit a narrow one, with the former having won two matches of the three they’ve played so far. Both players have split the two matches they played this year – both on clay – with Bencic winning the final of the Charleston Open and Jabeur claiming victory in their clash at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Photo Credit: WTA Insider Twitter