United Cup
Bencic moves Switzerland to brink of United Cup QFs
Switzerland 1-0 up vs. Italy, Wawrinka faces Cobolli
January 04, 2026
TENNIS AUSTRALIA
Belinda Bencic defeats Jasmine Paolini in straight sets on Sunday in Perth.
By ATP/WTA Staff
Belinda Bencic put Switzerland in prime position to secure their spot in the United Cup quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini to take a 1-0 lead in the tie.
Stan Wawrinka, who won a three-hour thriller over France’s Arthur Rinderknech Saturday, can guarantee a first-place finish in Group C for the Swiss with a victory over Flavio Cobolli in men’s singles. If Cobolli levels the tie, mixed doubles will be the deciding factor.
Miss Swiss 🇨🇭@BelindaBencic puts Team Switzerland on the board against Team Italy. pic.twitter.com/LWpssSMTh9
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 4, 2026
In the first set, Bencic and Paolini traded five straight breaks, highlighted by a Bencic backhand, cross-court return that glided past the Italian in the fifth game. Bencic provided the game’s first hold and extended her lead to 4-2 against the World No. 8, who Bencic lost two twice in 2025 — in a three-set thriller in Ningbo and at last year’s United Cup group stage.
“I’m really happy with today’s match,” Bencic said on-court after the one hour and 53 minute match. “I lost to her really close at the end of last season. I really had to organize my mind that ‘now it’s my time, I can do it.’ I thought it was a bit mental today.”
Paolini recovered quickly and held her serve, coming back from triple break point, and then broke Bencic once more, leveling at 4-4.
Just as Paolini was building momentum, Bencic halted it, breaking Paolini with an on-the-run backhand pass down the line, one of 10 backhand winners on the evening. The World No. 11 then held her serve and took the set 6-4.
Despite holding her serve to start the second set, Paolini dropped three of the next four games. She held her serve, requiring seven games points in the deuce as Bencic was a tall task, to remain a break down at 4-3. Bencic closed the match once more with her sixth break of Paolini’s serve, and propelled Switzerland to a 1-0 lead.
Bencic is now 2-0 in singles, following her 6-2, 6-4 win over Leolia Jeanjean Saturday. Paolini will face Jeanjean in Italy’s next tie against France.
