SYDNEY — Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic made her return to the elite circuit after her maternity break to guide Switzerland to a 2-1 win over France within the United Cup blended staff match Saturday.
The 27-year-old beat Chloe Paquet 6-3, 6-1 in her first WTA Tour-level match since giving beginning to daughter Bella in April. She later mixed with Dominic Stricker to defeat Elixane Lechemia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-1, 7-6 (4).
Bencic, who will compete within the Australian Open with a protected rating, mentioned she was taking part in at the next degree than she anticipated.
“The entire comeback went a lot quicker than I anticipated and anticipated. It is nice,” mentioned Bencic, who first returned to motion in October and performed within the Billie Jean King Cup, aside from lower-level tournaments. “I did not rush issues. I used to be tremendous cautious with beginning once more. I did not actually wish to put time strain on my comeback. I simply needed to see the way it goes daily.
“I believe I used to be prepared. There is not any level in practising extra. It is boring, proper? It is higher to play aggressive matches.”
Ugo Humbert had pulled France degree at 1-1 with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Stricker within the Group D contest, battling again from 2-5 down within the second set to prevail and power a blended doubles rubber on the Ken Rosewall Enviornment.
Within the night session, Argentina beat Australia 2-1 in Group F as Nadia Podoroska beat Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-4 earlier than Maria Lourdes Carle and Tomas Martin Etcheverry downed Ellen Perez and Matt Ebden 6-2, 6-4.
Alex De Minaur had powered previous Etcheverry 6-1, 6-4 to make it 1-1 in entrance of a raucous residence crowd.
Canada was additionally victorious in Group A of the $10 million match that options 18 nations, because it defeated Croatia 2-1 in Perth’s RAC Enviornment.
Former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez overcame Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-3 earlier than Felix Auger-Aliassime crashed to a 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss in opposition to Borna Coric. Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime then noticed off Lucija Ciric Bagaric and Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the tie.
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro bought Spain off to a strong begin with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Maria Sakkari earlier than Stefanos Tsitsipas bought previous Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to place Greece on the board in a Group C conflict.
Sakkari and Tsitsipas defeated Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers and Sergio Martos Gornes 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 to wrap up the tie.