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Match Details
Fixture: (10) Belinda Bencic vs Sloane Stephens
Date: October 19, 2022.
Tournament: Guadalajara Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 32).
Venue: Panamerican Tennis Center, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $2,527,250.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Belinda Bencic vs Sloane Stephens preview
10th seed Belinda Bencic will face Sloane Stephens in the second round of the Guadalajara Open on Wednesday.
The Swiss has produced some good performances this season, winning her maiden claycourt title at the Charleston Open while also reaching the final of the bett1open and the semifinals of the Miami Open. She made it to the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open as well.
Bencic was eliminated in the third round of the US Open. She bounced back with a run to the semifinals of the Tallinn Open before losing to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. The 25-year-old then competed at the AGEL Open in Ostrava, where she beat Eugenie Bouchard in the first round. However, the Swiss was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a left foot injury.
The Olympic champion has started her campaign in Guadalajara this week with a tight 7-5, 6-7(10), 6-3 win over 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez.
Stephens' most notable performance this season, meanwhile, was reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, where she lost to eventual runner-up Coco Gauff. Her only title of 2022 came at the Abierto Zapopan, where she beat Marie Bouzkova in the final.
The American suffered second-round exits in three of her four tournaments during the US Open Series, with a first-round defeat in the fourth one. After losing to Iga Swiatek at the US Open, Stephens competed at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma and suffered a 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 defeat to Danka Kovinic in the Round of 16.
She then played at last week's San Diego Open and reached the second round before losing to third seed Aryna Sabalenka despite being a set up. Stephens is now in action at the Guadalajara Open this week and has booked her place in the second round by thrashing Linda Fruhvirtova 6-0, 6-2.
Belinda Bencic vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head
Stephens leads 1-0 in the head-to-head against Bencic, having beaten her 6-4, 7-6(5) in the Round of 16 of the 2015 Miami Open.
Belinda Bencic vs Sloane Stephens odds
(Odds sourced from oddschecker)
Belinda Bencic vs Sloane Stephens prediction
Bencic will enter the match as the favorite to win given her form over the past few months. However, Stephens should not be written off as she is quite a formidable opponent on her day.
Bencic has a powerful first serve which can fetch her a number of free points. However, her second serve is a major weakness which makes her prone to double faults. The Swiss hits her shots flat on both wings and can always mix things up with her astute drop shots.
Stephens, meanwhile, won 30 out of 40 service points on her serve while winning 22 out of 34 return points during her last match. The American will particularly look to exploit Bencic's second serve. Her speed and counterpunching act as the ideal foil to the Swiss' aggressive style and she will aim to force her opponent into hitting unforced errors.
However, Stephens' form has been underwhelming for a few years now and the more consistent Bencic should be able to get the better of her.
Pick: Bencic to win in straight sets.
