Radwanska, Bencic upset in first round of Aegon Classic
Your teams. Your favorite writers. Wherever you want them. Personalize SI with our new App. Install on iOS or Android.
BIRMINGHAM, England — Agnieszka Radwanska, the top seed, and Belinda Bencic, the youngest player in the top world’s top 10, both fell at the first hurdle on a day of shocks and rainstorms at the Aegon Classic.
Radwanska, a former Wimbledon runner-up, had intended to use the grass court event as a springboard for another assault on the oldest Grand Slam title, but was halted 7–5,4–6, 6–3 by CoCo Vandeweghe, a hard-hitting American ranked outside the top 30.
Vandeweghe had never come close to winning a set against Radwanska’s consistently skillful ground strokes in four previous meetings, but used her strength and power to good effect.
• MORE TENNIS:Questions about Sharapova’s ban? We have answers
Even after the Pole intelligently played her way back to parity, Vandeweghe maintained a fierce flat attack and managed to break serve three times in the final set.
'“Last week helped me get out of tricky situations because I had done it before,” said Vendeweghe, referring to her capture of the den Bosch title on grass last week.
“I don’t think I played so bad today—she was just really good,” said Radwanska, disappointed to have had little practice on grass because of the bad weather. This was her first tournament on this surface this year.
Earlier Bencic, arguably the world’s most promising player, suffered another injury just 10 days after a lengthy spell on the side-lines with a bad back.
The 19-year-old Swiss player’s movement had been painful and ponderous before she quit half way through the second set during her first round match against Irina-Camelia Begu.
Bencic’s retirement gave the world No. 26 from Romania a victory by 6–4, 4–3 retired, though there was hardly a moment when Bencic had been mobile enough to win the match.
She took a tumble on the damp lush grass in the first game, and as early as the fifth game she was seeking help from the trainer. The injury was later described as a thigh strain. “I continued playing more than I should have,” Bencic admitted.
