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Donna Vekic and Belinda Bencic showed off their bond and humor, as they compared their serving styles and celebrated Vekic’s impressive second-round win at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Vekic, currently ranked 31st in the world, posted a picture of herself serving during her second-round match against Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai, on her Instagram account on Tuesday, February 20. In the picture, the Croat can be seen tossing the ball in the air with one hand and holding the racket with the other, while looking intently at the ball.
"Who serves like this?" Vekic captioned the picture, implying that she was looking for someone who shared her body language while serving.
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Bencic, who is currently on maternity leave after announcing her pregnancy in November 2023, replied to the question:
"Hahahaha me," implying that she and Vekic share a similar serving pose.
Vekic then shared Bencic’s response on her Instagram story and also posted a picture of Bencic in a similar serving pose.
"One and only Belinda Bencic," Vekic wrote, acknowledging their resemblance in serving stance.
Bencic then reposted Vekic’s story on her account and added a cheeky comment:
"Is that the reason why you served 14 aces today?"
For context, Vekic secured an impressive second-round win over World No. 2 Sabalenka, where the former hit 14 aces and won the match 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-0, in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Bencic and Vekic have faced each other five times on the WTA tour, with the former leading the head-to-head 4-1. Their most recent encounter was at the 2022 Tallinn Open quarterfinals, where the Swiss prevailed in straight sets. They have also teamed up in doubles at the 2019 Australian Open, where they lost in the first round.
Donna Vekic to face off against Sorana Cirstea for a spot in the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships QF
Donna Vekic will face Sorana Cirstea in the Round of 16 at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday, February 21.
Vekic has won six of her nine matches this year, including a semifinal appearance at the Linz Open last month, where she lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova in a three-set thriller. The Croat has been decent in Dubai so far, defeating Wang Xinyu and Aryna Sabalenka to advance to the last 16.
Cirstea, current World No. 22, has won five of her 10 matches this year, including a quarterfinal appearance at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she lost to eventual runner-up Daria Kasatkina in straight sets. The 33-year-old has upset Sofia Kenin and Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets to book her spot in the Round of 16.
This will be the sixth meeting between Donna Vekic and Sorana Cirstea, with the latter leading the head-to-head 3-2. They last played at the 2022 Birmingham Classic quarterfinals, where Cirstea won in three sets. The winner of this match will face either reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or Liudmila Samsonova in the quarterfinals.
