Bencic, Jabeur To Battle In Charleston Final

Americas biggest claycourt event comes to close Sunday in Charleston with Belinda Bencic taking on Ons Jabeur for the first women’s clay title of 2022.

Bencic, who on the gold medal in Tokyo last summer in her last final, is into her first career clay final after easing past Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-3.

All week, the event has been hit by rain, lightning and this weekend cool temperatures along with wind.

“I’m happy this moment came,” said Bencic. “I didn’t think it would. But super happy with how I played today. I thought it was a great match, tough conditions.”

The 10th-seeded Bencic will bid for his sixth career WTA title. She came down with COVID earlier and hadn’t made a semifinal until Miami last week.

On Sunday, she’ll face the 4th-seeded Jabuer who rallied past American Amanda Anisimova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

“For some reason, I love playing on this clay,” Jabeur said afterward. “It’s always fun to play here. The people have great energy. Again, I lost in the semifinal and the finals last year, but I always want to get a title here.”

Jabeur made the final a year ago — her lone clay final — losing to 165th-ranked Astra Sharma who enjoyed a dream week.

Jabeur will seek her second career title after winning Birmingham last summer.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka fell in the third round to Anismova while Bencic upset the second-seeded Badosa in the quarters.

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