Never count out Belinda Bencic. The World No.12 is happy to be back on her favored grass courts and, unsurprisingly, she's thriving. The Swiss star came up with a contender for Shot of the Year in her Round of 16 win over Petra Martic at the bett1Open in Berlin on Wednesday.
With the second set locked at 4-4, Bencic earned two break points at 15-40. She proceeded to break with an astounding play after being drawn into the net by Martic. In a cat-and-mouse duel at the net, Martic looked to get the better of Bencic with a short lob, but the Swiss anticipated it well, backpedaling to cover the overhead.
But this is where it got tricky.
Bencic lost her footing on the grass and fell backward as she struck the lob but her quick hands were ready to redirect the next ball to Martic's forehand side to prolong the point. That was enough time for Bencic to spring up and lunge for a drive backhand volley, which she nailed to finish the point.
Dust yourself off and take a bow, Belinda.
This isn't the first time this season Bencic has left the crowd in awe of her shot-making and improvisational skills. Who can forget her flurry of no-look shots from her run to the final in Adelaide in February? Check them out below:
Got @BelindaBencic on the back foot?
— wta (@WTA) February 26, 2021
Never count her out 🙅♀️ pic.twitter.com/t4yAUNA8Yd