Bencic beats Rybakina to reach Olympics tennis final
Bencic beats Rybakina to reach Olympics tennis final
TOKYO (AFP) - Switzerland s Belinda Bencic came through a marathon match against Kazakh player Elena Rybakina on Thursday to reach the women s tennis final at the Olympics and keep her bid for double gold alive.
The 24-year-old saved five set points in a 73-minute opening set before winning 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-3 after almost two-and-three-quarter hours in the searing Tokyo heat.
Bencic, who has also reached the women s doubles final alongside Viktorija Golubic, will face Marketa Vondrousova in the singles showpiece.
The ninth seed is only the fifth player to reach finals in both singles and doubles at a summer Games since tennis was reintroduced to the Olympics in 1988.
Three of the previous four -- Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Nicolas Massu -- have gone on to win two titles, with Andy Murray the only exception when he lost the mixed doubles final in 2012 with Laura Robson.
"To have a medal, it s the greatest thing. Even to be here as an athlete, in the Olympics, it s amazing," said Bencic, who could become the first Swiss woman to claim singles gold.
"I don t feel pressure right now. I just feel joy to have a medal."
Thursday s programme began at 3:00 pm (0600 GMT) local time, after organisers pushed the start time back from 11:00 am following complaints from players about the hot conditions.
But it was still brutal for Bencic and Rybakina first up on centre court.
Bencic will have a day off before Saturday s singles final against Vondrousova, who beat Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-1, with the doubles final on Sunday.
She and Golubic will take on three-time Grand Slam doubles champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, after seeing off Brazilian pair Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani 7-5, 6-3 in the semis.
