The quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis ended dramatically, with both Belinda Bencic and Sofia Kenin overcoming match points to secure their place in the semifinals against each other.
Tokyo: Scores | Draws | Order of play
Fifth seed Bencic triumphed over eighth seed Karolina Muchova with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, despite Muchova leading and even serving for the match in both sets two and three, holding a match point in the process. Earlier, tenth seed Kenin saved four match points while recovering from a 5-2 deficit in the final set against third seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, winning 6-0, 2-6, 7-6(3).
Long Marathon: Bencic’s Resilience
Bencic’s victory lasted 3 hours and 8 minutes, marking the 48th match at the tour level in 2025 to exceed three hours. She has participated in four of these lengthy encounters, including her recent match against Yuliia Starodubtseva, which lasted 3 hours and 33 minutes. In her post-match interview, the 28-year-old expressed her exhaustion but happiness at emerging victorious, emphasizing the fierce competition of the match.
Bencic initially struggled, recording 14 unforced errors in the first set. Muchova maintained pressure, even breaking Bencic after an ankle injury led to a medical timeout, taking a 5-3 lead. However, Bencic rebounded, winning seven consecutive games to surge ahead in the decider, despite Muchova’s late surge and match point advantage.
Kenin Confronts Pressure
Kenin spoke candidly about the pressure surrounding her return to the tournament this year, where she finished as a runner-up last year. Having experienced a dip in form since the Charleston final, she acknowledged the weight of defending her tournament points. Nonetheless, she showed determination in her matches this week, surviving multiple tiebreaks to make it to her second semifinal of the season.
With a 2-0 record against Bencic from previous encounters, Kenin expressed her challenges in maintaining focus, especially after Alexandrova’s medical timeout. She credited her mental and physical resilience in overcoming match points and attributes her success this year to her fighting spirit on the court.
