Belinda Bencic survives scare against Dayana Yastremska to move into Miami second round

Belinda Bencic survives a thriller against Dayana Yastremska and advances to the Miami Open second round. The former world No. 4 continues her impressive 2025 run, recovering late in the third set to secure a hard-fought victory, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.

Bencic arrived after a strong campaign at Indian Wells, where she secured three wins over top-20 players (including world No. 3 Coco Gauff) before falling to world No. 5 Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. The Swiss player now holds an 18-5 record in 2025.

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Alcaraz trains with his brother before Miami Open as Zheng Qinwen partners with Beats

Bencic edges out Yastremska in tight first set

The first set was fairly balanced, decided by small details during key moments. Yastremska (No. 42) showed strong serving from the start and fierceness in her returns. Even in the opening service game of Bencic, it was clear that Yastremska would put up a fight after saving six break points.

However, Yastremska struggled with her service, and Bencic took advantage, breaking her serve and quickly gaining a 3-1 lead after nearly 20 minutes of play. Despite the advantage, Bencic had trouble holding onto the lead, facing problems with her service and not generating much from her returns.

Read also

Tournament Centre WTA Miami Open 2025: Schedule, Draw, Results, Prize Money and TV Guide

Nevertheless, Bencic held her serve, saving all eight break points, while capitalizing on the only opportunity she had in the set to win it 6-1. The Swiss player had a 60% first serve percentage, winning 80% of those, though she struggled with her second serve, winning just 35%.

Yastremska takes control in the second set

The second set was forgettable for Bencic, with Yastremska, as usual, showing bravery to take risks with her shots, and everything started working in the Ukrainian’s game. With two consecutive breaks, Yastremska took a 4-0 lead with her serve, a set that seemed destined to go in favor of world No. 42.

At 4-0, Bencic began to raise her level and seemed close to getting a break, but Yastremska remained solid and extended her lead to 5-0. Bencic saved herself from a bagel when she faced a set point, managing to defend her serve for the first time. The set ended with Bencic fighting hard, transferring the pressure to Yastremska, who struggled to close out the set. In an intense 18-point game, Yastremska finally secured the set with her 8th set point.

Read also

WTA Race update after Indian Wells: Mirra Andreeva displaces Iga Swiatek as Bencic enters top-10

Bencic breaks late to clinch a hard-fought third set

Bencic had lost the momentum and entered the third set trying to push Yastremska away from the baseline with deep shots and some lobs to avoid letting the Ukrainian take control of the rallies. Meanwhile, Yastremska continued to fire powerful shots close to the lines, which troubled Bencic, who was playing more defensively than her opponent.

Read also

WTA Rankings Update after Indian Wells: Champion Mirra Andreeva surges to new career high, Aryna Sabalenka still World No.1

The set started with two breaks in favor of Yastremska and one for Bencic, with the Ukrainian leading 2-1 while serving. From there, both players fought to maintain their serve. The Swiss former gold medalist at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics had a couple of break chances in the 6th game but couldn’t capitalize on them.

The Ukrainian was serving to close the victory at 5-4, but Bencic wasn’t going down without a fight. After a couple of break opportunities, the Swiss player managed to level the third set at 5-5, unleashing Yastremska's frustration, who threw her racket in fury and received a warning.

The final part of the match showed Yastremska's tension, while Bencic managed her emotions better. The Swiss player confidently held her serve, and the Ukrainian ended up losing her serve for the second time in a row, giving Bencic the victory 6-4, 1-6, 7-5. With this win, Bencic advances to the second round, where she will face another Ukrainian, 22nd seed Elina Svitolina.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe