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In the battle of the parent and the teenager, experience won out. Belinda Bencic is in her first Wimbledon semi-final after containing the 18-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva and striking a blow for hard-pressed parents everywhere.
Andreeva was the favourite to win this Centre Court tussle after tearing a course through these Championships. She came into the match yet to drop a set and with observers purring about the growth in her game.
Bencic, meanwhile, arrived at the fourth slam quarter-final of her career relatively unheralded, bar for the fact this new mother, she gave birth to daughter Bella last year, was the last mum standing as the women’s draw reached the final eight.
It was a match of intrigue, and one that drew the attention of Queen Camilla, sat front and centre in the Royal Box. It was also a contest that was very evenly matched, with both players able to impose their strengths, but unable to conceal their weaknesses. In the end it could be argued that Bencic’s composure was the crucial factor in deciding the outcome, the benefit of having been around a little longer, perhaps.
A sign of the closeness of the contest could be seen in the rhythms of the match. Both sets started quietly, players within themselves, feeling each other out. When the service game count ticked past three, the decisive moments arrived. In the opening set, that meant four tense games where Andreeva asserted herself on her serve and fearsome forehand, while Bencic was largely on the defensive. But the Swiss player dug in, and was able to ask enough questions of Andreeva to produce uncertain answers. The teenager had all the power, but less control.
It was this issue that proved decisive in the opening tie-break. Andreeva conjured an ace on her first service point, but her second was picked off on the second serve by Bencic for a mini-break. From that point the Russian was chasing, and did so by dialling up the intensity.
This was her greatest opportunity, but also a temptation, and Bencic was able to take advantage of it. At 2-3 and in at the net Andreeva had all the court to aim but drove a big volley well wide. At 3-5 she put too much power into her service return and drove it into the net. Once again looking for a winner, a poor forehand from the teenager sealed the set in Bencic’s favour.
This was impressive stuff from the 28-year-old, who was keeping calm and in control of what she could. Her weakness was on her backhand, something Andreeva was finding success against every time she targeted it, which wasn’t often enough. But Bencic did all she could to prevent her flaw being exposed. She kept steady and waited for errors from the other side.
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With the second set following the same slow build as the first, Bencic looked as if she had decided the contest when she broke Andreeva at 4-4. Next, however, came the Russian’s best moment of the match as she channelled the needs of the moment into raising her game higher and playing the power with consistent effectiveness. Bencic was battered into submission and the score was 5-5. Was it a turning point in the match?
The answer was no, because Bencic stuck to her plan as assiduously as she had throughout. Both players held serve once more for a second tie-break to arrive. Andreeva served first and hit a poor slice shot wide for a mini-break. Bencic roared to 4-1 up, before Andreeva got one break back with a clean forehand winner.
The next point, however, was another error for the Russian and any momentum finally went out from her. Despite a double fault from Bencic, at 6-2 she stood tall in the rally and won the match with a forehand smash. She dropped her racket to the ground and lifted her arms and eyes to the sky in celebration.
