Keystone
Belinda Bencic’s chances on qualification for the WTA finals are no longer great. In order to be able to make hopes, the young mother needs an exploit at the tournament in Beijing.
At the start of the US Open, Belinda Bencic admitted that it would be “mega cool” if she qualified as a mother for the WTA finals of the best eight players of the year in the first season. “I have an eye on it indirectly,” she revealed to Keystone-Sda. “But I’m not the one who counts points all the time.”
With the surprisingly early end in the 2nd round of the US Open, Bencic’s chances have dropped significantly. The 28-year-old is currently number 15 in the annual ranking. Bencic would therefore need an almost perfect autumn to qualify for the tournament from November 1 to 8 November in the Saudi capital Riad. In the coming weeks, however, many points can be won in China and Japan.
3000 points possible
In Beijing, where Bencic will start after a open -air on Thursday against qualifier Katie Elynets (WTA 107) or Peyton Stearns (WTA 61), and from October 6th in Wuhan there will be 1000 points for the winner. Both tournaments belong to the highest category among the Grand Slams. After that, the Swiss returned to Tokyo for the first time, to the site of her Olympic trial, where a maximum of 500 points are possible. In between, she could also compete in another tournament in the 500 category in Ningbo, but still leaves this open.
Only two players, US Open Champion Aryna Sabalenka and the Wimbledon winner Iga Swiatek, have their ticket for Riyadh in her pocket. The third-placed Roland Garros-Championne Coco Gauff only needs a few points. In Beijing, only the world number 1 Sabalenka, Madison Keys (6) and Jelina Switolina (13) are missing from the top 30 in Beijing.
That doesn’t make it easier for Bencic. After paper form, she would meet Gauff in the round of 16. In order to continue to be able to make real hopes for the second Masters qualification, she probably needs at least one semi-final qualification or even better the initiative in a final. In the later rounds there are significantly more points to win for every additional victory.
No additional pressure
Bencic does not have to put himself under pressure in her first tournament in a month. Her comeback year after the birth of daughter Bella 17 months ago is a success “it is not something that I have to create now,” she said in New York about the WTA finals.
In Beijing, she is not the only Swiss woman. Viktorija Golubic (WTA 70) will meet qualified Priscilla Hon (WTA 108) from Australia in the 1st round on Wednesday.
