World No 14 Belinda Bencic said she learned lessons from her previous defeat to Leylah Fernandez as she was glad that she was able to clinch her first victory over the Canadian.
In the Guadalajara first round, Bencic defeated Fernandez 7-5 6-7 (10) 6-3.
Previously, Fernandez defeated Bencic at the 2020 Billie Jean King Cup and this year’s French Open, respectively.
“I think every match with Leylah will be, and is, very close. She’s playing very good and it’s tough to find the rhythm against her. I’m happy I learned something from the last time I lost,” Bencic said after the match, per the WTA website.
Bencic overcame Fernandez in three sets
In the first set, Bencic was on the verge of losing the opener but she somehow saved three consecutive set points in the 10th game and managed to steal the opener.
After saving three set points in the first set, Bencic blew five match points in the second set as Fernandez managed to force a decider.
In the third set, Bencic broke Fernandez to complete a three-set win.
“I felt like I had a good game plan but it was tough to execute it with the conditions. I’m happy for the first match that I’m through. It doesn’t have to be pretty,” Bencic added.
Meanwhile, Bianca Andreescu was also happy with her start in Guadalajara.
In her Guadalajara opener, Andreescu saw off Jil Teichmann 6-2 6-4.
“I definitely like the atmosphere here. I think the altitude helps me in a way, especially when I’m hitting winners. I feel like it just drags [the ball] around, which I actually like. I just wanted to come out, stay positive and give everything I have. I’m very happy with the consistency. Sometimes, I could’ve went for more, but I chose to be a little bit more safe. I didn’t want to go for too much, there’s a good balance. I think my serve went really well today, my return, and just fighting until the end, as well,” Andreescu said after the match.