"I tried everything to get him" - Belinda Bencic on hiring Emma Raducanu's former coach Dmitry Tursunov
In the opening round of the Guadalajara Open Akron on Monday, World No. 14 Belinda Bencic defeated Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 to avenge her loss at Roland Garros. With the victory, Bencic maintained her chances of making it to her second WTA Finals.
The Swiss prevailed in the contest under the supervision of Emma Raducanu's former coach Dmitry Tursunov. According to British media, Tursunov ended the collaboration with Raducanu so that he could take on a different coaching opportunity.
In her post-match press conference, Bencic discussed her collaboration with Tursunov. She claimed that she tried everything to get him and that her decision was "good" given that he is a "tough" coach.
"I tried everything to get him. He's a very good and tough coach. I think that was a good decision," she revealed.
.@BelindaBencic talks to coach Dmitry Tursunov in Guadalajara https://t.co/szeCBXtrwb
Tursunov is now working with a third player in 2022. He collaborated with Anett Kontaveit during the first part of the season and when the North American hardcourt swing began, he joined Raducanu's coaching staff.
"She's playing very good and it's tough to find the rhythm against her" - Belinda Bencic on Leylah Fernandez
In her on-court interview, Belinda Bencic briefly discussed her opponent Leylah Fernandez. The Swiss said it was difficult to develop a rhythm against Fernandez and that she was "happy" to learn a lesson from her loss to the Canadian at the 2022 French Open.
"I think every match with Leylah will be, and is, very close. She's playing very good and it's tough to find the rhythm against her. I'm happy I learned something from the last time I lost," Bencic said.
"I felt like I had a good game plan but it was tough to execute it with the conditions. I'm happy for the first match that I'm through. It doesn't have to be pretty," she added.
The 25-year-old will go up against Sloane Stephens in the second round. Stephens took her winning run in Guadalajara to six matches, having won the 250 tournament held there earlier this year, by defeating Linda Fruhvirtova 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday.
This will be the first encounter between Bencic and Stephens since 2015.
Bencic is ranked 12th in the Race to the WTA Finals, with five qualifying spots still on the line for the season's penultimate tournament. She will be hoping to qualify for the event for only the second time in her career.