Six hours ago, Kirsten Flipkens – who fell to Kayla Day in the second round of the qualifying draw – didn’t know that she would be playing a match today. Lesia Tsurenko, a lucky loser who was originally scheduled to play Belinda Bencic, withdrew with a right knee injury earlier this morning. Flipkens was notified at 12:15pm that she had been inserted into the first round, and that she would need to be ready to take the court in just under two hours.
Flipkens races ahead
Though seemingly unprepared for her match, the Belgium earned herself an early lead, controlling the rallies with her slice and offering Bencic very few looks at a second serve. Bencic appeared to be struggling with the conditions; many of her shots were either flying long or hitting the bottom of the net. It was the nineteen-year-old’s frustration, combined with her lack of consistency, that helped Flipkens to sail through the first set quite comfortably, 6-1.
Getty Images Sport | Adam Glanzman
Bencic retaliates
After falling behind a set and a break of serve (2-4), Bencic found her groove. She had regained her consistency, and along with this weapon, her confidence. Flipkens gradually found herself on the defensive side of points; the slice that was helping her to dominate in the previous set was no longer as effective. The Swiss was able to anticipate these shots and redirect them to the back corners of the court.
“Until 6-1 4-2 I had everything under control. I was the one dictating the points with my slice. But 4-2 I think she was just going for her shots 100% and everything fell in. So then things turned around because for me it was more difficult to play my game and she won seven games in a row,” the Belgium reflected.
She also recognized her frustration that was beginning to build as a result of her diminished power. When Bencic broke to tie the set at 4-4, Flipkens tried unsuccessfully to incorporate more groundstrokes into the rallies—shots that cost her several unforced errors and forced her farther back into the court. Seven consecutive games later and the world #26 had sealed a hard-fought set, 7-5.
Getty Images Sport | Adam Glanzman
Flipkens makes a comeback
Despite a loss of momentum in the second set, the lucky loser was determined to not allow this match to slip away like it had during her match against Kayla Day. Bencic continued to play fearlessly until 5-2, when Flipkens rose to match her opponent’s bold tactics.
Flipkens elaborated on what was arguably the most pivotal moment of the match--one that caused a complete shift in Bencic’s attitude, and one that gave Flipkens the confidence to push towards victory.
“At 5-2 in the third set I knew it was only 1 break [separating us]. I knew it was going to be an important game to get back to 5-4 because then you’re in the match again. I just knew I had to keep fighting and try to bring every ball back. And I could feel it a little that it was going to be mental at the end,” the lucky loser explained to VAVEL.
“At 5-4 I have a very good first point where I make the passing shot down the line with my forehand. Whether it’s 15-0 or 0-15 it makes a big difference. So I was just hanging in there trying to relax, trying to play my game, and give myself every point 100%. I was able to turn it around a bit because of her I think. She started to play not as aggressive as she did before.”
Even with a four game lead, combining Bencic's mental breakdown with nine double faults and a 49% first serve percentage made her chances of closing out the final set difficult. Witnessing the nineteen-year-old smashing her racquet contributed to the gain in confidence that Flipkens needed to close out the match.
Getty Images Sport | Adam Glanzman
Final Thoughts
The lucky loser expressed her gratitude for being able to return to the tournament after being eliminated—something that, in her thirteen years of being a professional tennis player, she has never experienced, and may never experience again. A rare situation, indeed, but one that gave her the opportunity to show the 3,038 fans in the stadium her passion that may have been overshadowed in her previous encounter with American and home-crowd favorite, Day.
“I lost second round of qualifying so I didn’t really deserve to get into the draw anyway. I was already thankful to get into the draw, to get another match going into the U.S. Open so for me already that was a win. Of course when you get out there you want to give yourself 100% and that’s what I did. It was quite an interesting match today from both sides. I’m happy I got through,” the Belgium told VAVEL after her win.
“Luck was on my side,” she said in regards to being granted a second chance to play in the tournament. The second time was the charm today for this lucky loser, but in this instance it wasn’t luck—but rather, grit—that earned her a place in the second round.