Serena Williams’ first match following her retirement announcement will come against Belinda Bencic.
With Williams having already advanced at the National Bank Open with her victory over Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Monday, Bencic joined the 40-year-old American in round two by beating Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday evening. The Swiss advanced after one hour and 16 minutes of play.
Finished in style 💃
2015 Toronto champ 🇨🇭 @BelindaBencic sets up a rematch of that year’s semifinal against Serena Williams in Round 2!#NBO22 pic.twitter.com/YEKIlu864D
— wta (@WTA) August 9, 2022
Bencic vs Williams is a rematch of the 2015 Toronto semi-finals
Wednesday marks the fifth meeting between Williams and Bencic. The 23-time Grand Slam champion owns a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head series, but they faced each other in the semi-finals of this same event in 2015 and the Swiss pulled off a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 upset.
WTA Toronto, other first-round matches and results:
- Daria Kasatkina vs. Bianca Andreescu
- Kaia Kanepi beat Naomi Osaka: 7-6 (4), 3-0 ret.
- Amanda Anisimova beat Carol Zhao (WC): 6-1, 6-3
- Shuai Zhang beat Cristina Bucsa: 6-1, 6-3
- Camila Giorgi beat Emma Raducanu (9): 7-6(0), 6-2
- Ajla Tomljanovic (Q) beat Veronika Kudermetova: 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(3)
- Elise Mertens beat Anna Bondar: 7-6 (2), 6-1
- Coco Gauff (10) beat Madison Brengle (Q): 6-1, 6-3
- Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Claire Liu (Q): 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6(5)
- Qinwen Zheng beat Rebecca Marino (WC): 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4
- Jil Teichmann beat Venus Williams (WC): 6-2, 6-3
- Alison Riske-Amritraj beat Petra Kvitova: 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
- Yulia Putintseva beat Katherine Sebov (WC): 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
- Leylah Fernandez (13) beat Storm Sanders (Q): 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3
- Alize Cornet beat Caroline Garcia: 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
- Asia Muhammad (Q) beat Madison Keys: 7-6(5), 6-4
- Sloane Stephens beat Sofia Kenin: 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5
- Karolina Pliskova (14) beat Barbora Krejcikova: 6-3, 6-4
- Jelena Ostapenko (16) beat Anhelina Kalinina: 6-4, 6-2
- Serena Williams beat Nuria Parrizas Diaz (LL): 6-3, 6-4
- Simona Halep (15) beat Donna Vekic (LL): 6-0, 6-2
- Elena Rybakina beat Marie Bouzkova (Q): 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-1
- Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Martina Trevisan: 6-2, 2-6, 6-2