By Larry Fine
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic interrupted a procession of veterans advancing to the fourth round at the U.S. Open on Friday by toppling sixth-seed German Angelique Kerber and vowed not to be satisfied.
Bencic, last year’s French Open and Wimbledon junior champion, went one round better than her third-round showing in this year’s main draw at Wimbledon with a 6-1 7-5 win over 26-year-old Kerber, a 2011 U.S. Open semi-finalist.
“It feels amazing. I played a really good match right from the start,” said Bencic, who proved much steadier than the German and saved five of seven break points in the match to keep Kerber at bay.
“It’s amazing that after last year I played juniors here, and this year I’m in the fourth round. So it’s incredible.”
Among other winners were 32-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia, who upset second seed Simona Halep of Romania, and 28-year-olds Sara Errani of Italy and Peng Shuai of China.
Next up for Bencic, who is coached by Martina Hingis’s mother, will be former world number one Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, the 29-year-old ninth seed, who overwhelmed unseeded Swede Johanna Larsson 6-1 6-0.
“It motivates me even more to work harder,” Bencic said about her U.S. Open success. “And now not just to be satisfied with it, but I want more.”
Bencic said she has learned most of what she knows about tennis from the former world number one and compatriot Hingis.
“I’m practicing by her since I’m a little kid, so she knows me really well. I have never practiced by someone else,” the teenager said. “It’s working great, and always when we are back home I am practicing with her.”
(Editing by Gene Cherry)
Swiss Bencic teen topples sixth seed Kerber
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