Bencic shows her passion for tennis

Belinda Bencic is rapidly living up to her huge potential after reaching the Rogers Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 6-1 1-6 7-6 win over Sabine Lisicki.

The Swiss teenager raced through the opening set against her initially sluggish opponent, brushed off the German’s inspired second set response, and then hit a series of stunning shots at key moments in the unbearably tense deciding set, aptly demonstrating her big-match temperament.

Displays of great potential are nothing new for Bencic, who looked like a future Grand Slam champion the first time I saw her play – at the 2014 Aegon Classic – and whose performances since then have firmly cemented that impression.

At Wimbledon 2014, she reached the 3rd round, where she lost 6-4 6-1 to eventual finalist Simona Halep. Then she achieved her biggest breakthrough so far when she reached the US Open quarter-final aged…