United Cup: Bencic and Stricker Secure Mixed Doubles Victory, Propel Switzerland Over France

Sydney, Dec 28 (NationPress) Belinda Bencic and Dominic Stricker overcame Elixane Lechemia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin with a score of 6-1, 7-6(4) on Saturday during a decisive mixed doubles match, enabling Switzerland to triumph over France 2-1 in the Group D competition.

The Swiss team kept their hopes alive for advancing to the knockout rounds of this prestigious mixed-gender team event after Ugo Humbert defeated Dominic Stricker with a score of 6-3, 7-5, equalizing the tie after Bencic had initiated their campaign with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win against Chloe Paquet in the women's singles.

In the crucial match, the Swiss appeared dominant, losing only 12 points in the first set of the mixed doubles, but they had to put in significant effort to secure victory in 77 minutes.

"I watched her matches when she played with Roger, so it wasn't easy for me," said Stricker, referring to his compatriot Roger Federer. "But we had a productive discussion before the match, and we came out strong, so it feels amazing to win that match and the tie."

The winning team will need to recover quickly for their upcoming match against Italy on Sunday evening at Ken Rosewall Arena, while France will face Italy on Tuesday.

"This win was crucial, and it was a joy to play alongside Dominic," Bencic expressed. "It's effortless when he's serving. I just relax at the net, hardly touching the ball, so it’s fantastic to partner with him, and we shared great energy on the court."

Humbert provided France with a chance to participate in a 'live' mixed doubles match by leveling the tie with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Stricker.

"It was the season's first match, so it was challenging post-preseason. I performed well," Humbert stated. "I felt much more comfortable towards the end, and I'm really pleased with my victory today."

Humbert concluded his 2024 season with the most successful tournament of his career, reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Paris Masters. Although he didn’t deliver a flawless performance against Stricker to kick off the new season, falling behind by a break in the second set, he maintained composure and fought through in straight sets.

"I pushed myself," Humbert remarked. "By the end, I had the break, and my energy was diminishing, so I pressed a bit more, and I played really well at the end, making it a nice victory for me."

In her first WTA Tour match since returning from maternity leave, the 2021 Olympic gold medallist Bencic defeated Chloe Paquet in straight sets, giving Switzerland a 1-0 lead.

Former World No.4 Bencic, who welcomed her daughter Bella in April, took 87 minutes to overcome the 123rd-ranked Paquet on the hard courts of Ken Rosewall Arena. This marked Bencic’s first victory at a tour-level event since her third-round win at the 2023 US Open over 15 months ago.

"I’m thrilled to be back, of course," Bencic shared. "I experienced some nerves initially and a bit of rust, so I’m glad I acknowledged that and battled through it. After that, it felt smoother, I became calmer, and was more able to focus on my tennis."

Bencic returned to competitive play in October, participating in the Billie Jean King Cup, WTA 125, and ITF events. Signs of her strong return were evident as she reached a WTA 125 final on the indoor hard courts of Angers, France in her latest event.

The Tokyo Olympics champion brought her revitalized form into her first match against Paquet, a Tour veteran who broke into the Top 100 for the first time in her career earlier this year just after turning 30.

After trailing 3-2, Bencic won four consecutive games to take the opening set, hitting seven backhand winners compared to Paquet’s one. Bencic extended her game-winning streak to nine before Paquet managed to score again at 5-1 in the second set. The Swiss player routinely served out the match one game later.

She then went on to win the mixed doubles, sealing victory for her nation.