Belinda Bencic - The New Swiss Maestro?

"Who is she?" screeched Nikki Graham from Big Brother in 2006. The question is who is this girl?

Belinda Bencic last defeat in the junior circuit came in December at the Orange Bowl Championships. Since then her record for 2013 is 35-0. Bagging both the French Open Juniors title and Wimbledon Juniors title. She is currently coached by Martina Hingis's former coach Melanie Molitor. She first gained attention reaching the US Open doubles final in 2012 at the age of 15. She then went to Egypt for a ITF tournament where she defeated the top seed and fourth seed for just the loss of 7 games. She made it to the final where she met the second seed and was downed in 3. However, her results this year are quite astonishing.

Has anyone seen this kid in action?

Can she be Switzerland's next star?

I did not realise that anyone was interested in this event. I watched Townsend v Bencic in the final. Reminded me a little of Sharapova v Williams.

She does not have power, but compensates it with consistency and placement. Townsend was up 4-1 and playing well and causing problems for Bencic. After losing the first set, she came back and made Townsend scurry everywhere (recall Safin's comment about Federer making players scurry all over the court - like a rabbit). It was a hot day, and Townsend, a big girl, could not keep up. Nice passing shots were demoralizing Townsend.

If she can carry the game, and add a bit more power, it would be better for her in the age of baseliners. She is one too.

She is SUI, so the Hingis and Federer references may also have a bad side effect and the weight of expectations. I hope she does well as she moves from Girls to Ladies. Will keep an eye on her.

LK. I was planning to write a MoTD for the final, but was not very certain of the forum's interest.

I am always interested in the juniors side of things LF. It stirs some interesting results. Her figures this year are quite astonishing on the singles side of things. She is 16 at the moment so I will be intrigued to see if she is invited to WTA tour events.

Watched some of her final against Townsend. She looked good and at 16 is a whole year younger than Townsend, who, it has to be said, really does need to lose a lot of weight.
This would have been a far better final for the Centre Court crowd than the "real" ladies final.

I didn't see the match but BBC showed some of her post-match interview. The main thing I took from that is she is very well sponsored - never seen a player with no many patches down the front of their jacket (presumably far more than she'd be allowed to wear on-court). Interesting to have such commercial interests at such a young age.

Wow, 35-0 in juniors is very impressive, her stats reminds much like her coach Hingis, WTA certainly need a star to revoke interest I hope she could be that.

laverfan wrote:rose LK. I was planning to write a MoTD for the final, but was not very certain of the forum's interest.

Like legend, I would be very interested to read a report LF. It is fun to watch out for a junior player with such stellar results when she enters the WTA tour.

@TP... Next time. Apologies for this one. I wish W/Beeb would put up video archives of older matches, like the AO vault.

PS: http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/06/bencic-adds-wimbledon-title-to-successful-season/

Interesting that Melinda Molitor is Hingis's mother and coach, both.

Very interesting LF - I find it difficult enough getting my daughter to make her bed without door slamming and recriminations atm!!!  

That would be lovely to read a report another time   

@TP... I had a tough time with my sons and their clothes on the floor or strewn all over the place.

Bit OT, but does she like sports, in general, and a specific one, more than others? A suggestion, I used to take a before and after picture, and they seem to be a bit better and about 70-80% consistent, in keeping organized. I still have to take care of the remainder. . See if that works in your case.

Children + chores = oil + water!

They are so adept at 'hanging' their clothes on the horizontal wardrobe. Getting my son to take any tennis instruction from myself was similarly impossible, so he has his own coach and we discuss tactics from time to time, kind of his mental coach. Good luck to Belinda...hope her career doesn't become a circle in the sand (see what I did there?).

@Lydian... if Hingis is coming out of retirement, Bencic and Hingis can motivate each other.

My eldest son calls it the 'floordrobe'.

bogbrush wrote:My eldest son calls it the 'floordrobe'.

LOL, BB. That is funny.

PS: "War-drobe" "Floor-drobe" -> War v Floor!

That's a good suggestion LF - I'd love to have close circuit tv in the kitchen so I could catch Mr Nobody putting empty milk cartons back in the fridge and leaving (tantalisingly) empty packets of family bags of doritos, plumped up to look full, in the larder!!!

Bless the little darlings!!! Certainly going to rename my sons' rooms as the floordrobes now BB!