Swiss tennis star Belinda Bencic says she has never been more confident on clay as on Saturday she defeated Karolina Muchova to progress into the Madrid round-of-16.
Bencic, seeded at No. 11, didn’t have an easy job at the office on Saturday but she fought hard and it paid off as she edged out Muchova 6-3 4-6 7-6.
Bencic entered this clay season determined to finally win her first WTA clay title.
Three weeks ago in Charleston, Bencic won six matches to finally win her first title on clay.
In Madrid, Bencic is playing her second clay tournament of the year.
Bencic defeated Irina Begu and Muchova to push her record on clay to 8-0 in 2022.
“I feel like I have match play, and I can feel it. In the important moments, you feel like you know when to do something, when to act and what is your game,” Bencic told WTA Insider.
Bencic shows Ons Jabeur respect
Next up for Bencic will be No. 8 seed Jabeur.
It will be a rematch of this year’s Charleston final, in which Bencic defeated Jabeur 6-1 5-7 6-4 to win her first clay title.
Bencic says she has nothing but respect for Jabeur and her game as she expects another tough match.
“Ons, she’s always tricky on any surface. She finds ways, she plays different, she tries to put you off rhythm. It was a tough match in Charleston … you always expect the best and she’s a Top 10 player,” Bencic said of facing Jabeur.
Bencic and Jabeur will be meeting for the third time when they meet in the Madrid round-of-16.
Interestingly, Bencic and Jabeur met for the first time exactly a year ago in Madrid.
Back then, Bencic claimed a straight-set win over Jabeur.
Their first two matches were played on clay and the third will also be played on play.
It remains to be seen if Bencic can continue her streak on clay and win her ninth consecutive match.