Pavlyuchenkova completes remarkable comeback to defeat Bencic, Martic edges past Hsieh

Tuesday, 18 February 2020 at 17:38

Bencic_Belinda_AustralianOpen2020 scaled

The action continues at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova completing a brilliant turnaround to defeat Belinda Bencic in the first round in the event.

Pavlyuchenkova had a woeful first set coming within five points of losing in a golden set after Bencic claimed the first 19 points in the match but in the end the Russian returned to the foray and produced a brilliant finish.

She went from being on the verge of an embarrassing defeat to winning 12 out of the last 13 games to win against a top 5 player for the 15th time and for the second time this season.

This is another early round defeat for Bencic and it means the defending champion is now out of the competition at this first round stage.

For Petra Martic though it was a lot more simpler with the number eight seed easing past Su-Wei Hsieh in a 6-4, 6-3 win and she will next take on Barbora Strycova who defeated Amanda Anisimova yesterday.

Also through is Kristina Mladenovic who similarly eased past Aliaksandra Sasnovich in a 6-4, 6-3 win; as well as Veronika Kudermetova who edged past Dayana Yastremska in a closely fought win.

Yastremska took the first set before Kudermetova levelled it up lending itself to a tense decider and it was just that with the latter taking it 7-6 to move through.

	Kristina Mladenovic	2	6	6
	Aliaksandra Sasnovich	0	4	3

Veronika Kudermetova	2	5	6	7
Dayana Yastremska	1	7	3	6²
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova	2	1	6	6
Belinda Bencic	1	6	1	1
Petra Martic	2	6	6
Su-Wei Hsieh	0	4	3

https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1229751992626475008

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

Delray Beach Open 2020 Day 2 Schedule of Play

Sinner sets up Medvedev clash at Open 13 Provence, Hurkacz and Pospisil also through