Norrie proves powerless to prevent an early Paris departure
BIANCA Andreescu’s barnstorming run through the ranks of the world’s top players has been one of the most striking features of a remarkable year in women’s tennis, but the 19-year-old Canadian’s progress stalled for the second time in a month yesterday when she was beaten by Simona Halep in her opener at the season-ending Shiseido WTA Finals.
Halep showed great powers of resilience to fight back from match point down to win 3-6 7-6 6-3 after two and a half hours.
Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams in last month’s US Open final, had won her first seven matches against top-10 opponents — all this year — and had not lost a completed match since
CRAIG Young has spoken about the frustrations of being out of the side and then the satisfaction of being recalled to play a match-winning role as Ireland qualified for the T20 World Cup.
The 29-year-old, from Londonderry, made his international debut in 2013, but in the next five years, Young played in only a third of Ireland’s 130 matches.
At the start of this year, he took the decision to leave the North West and sign for North Down in the NCU, and after a stellar season on the faster pitches at Comber he was brought back into the Ireland side for the T20 against Zimbabwe, ironically at his former club Bready.
March until she was beaten by Naomi Osaka four weeks ago in Beijing. Defeat to Halep now means she has lost twice in a row for the first time in 14 months.
While the round-robin format means she could yet go on to win the title, the Canadian struggled with a back problem in the closing stages.
“My back hurts,” a disconsolate Andreescu said afterwards. Asked if she thought the injury might force her to pull out of her remaining two round-robin matches, she said: “We’ll see.”
Physical issues have been the only cloud on Andreescu’s horizon in 2019, the World No.4 having missed most of the clay-court season and the entire grass-court campaign. Considering those enforced breaks, the fact that she won her maiden Grand Slam title in New York and qualified for
Working hard: Craig Young is back in side this tournament for the first time is testimony to her talent.
Halep has struggled with her own back problems in recent weeks and came here with minimal expectations. However, she has been reunited at this tournament with Darren Cahill, the Australian coach who guided her to her first Grand Slam title last summer but had taken off the rest of this year because of family commitments.
The Wimbledon champion was clearly determined to celebrate his return in style and delivered a gutsy victory. She called him to the court in each set and was told she could not bring him on court again.
“I called him so many times because I missed him this year,” Halep said with a smile. “He advised me that I was playing okay, even if I thought I wasn’t playing
Figures of 2-20 in his first Ireland game for 13 months kept him in the squad for this autumn, but Young had to wait his turn in the UAE and it wasn’t until the fifth match of the T20 World Cup qualifiers, when he replaced Warriors team-mate Stuart Thompson, that he got his chance.
“It’s nice to be involved again, it’s a lonely place when you are watching the lads on television or following them on social media, so hopefully I can kick on from here,” said Young.
“(Coach) Graham Ford and Willo (captain Gary Wilson) have always said they are really confident in the bench, that if anyone drops out the team will not be weakened. So it was a nice carrot to get career best figures (4-13) in my second match, but it was all about qualification.” very solid. He told me that was okay and I could serve better, which was true.”
Andreescu used to idolise Halep and had been eagerly awaiting her first meeting with the 28-year-old Romanian. Andreescu’s own parents are Romanian and she spent several years of her childhood living in the country of their birth.
Fearless and athletic, Andreescu has a spectacularly creative game. A stunning display in the first two sets included exquisite drop shots, crunching ground strokes, viciously sliced forehands and an outrageous between-the-legs shot from the baseline which surprised Halep so much she missed what should have been an easy forehand.
Andreescu took the first set after had broken serve three times and had a match point when Ha
Young admits it was just a case of working hard in the nets but, as he puts it, “you don’t really get much choice”.
“The coaches make sure you are as sharp as can be, everything is in place, so you have no real excuse not to be ready,” he adds. “You have to keep working hard, but it’s nice to do well.”
Young signs off with a sentence that only a bowler can utter: “Batsmen can get all the runs they want, but it’s the bowlers that win the games, especially in this heat, it’s been a huge effort from everyone. All have worked hard, batters and bowlers.”
The Ireland squad arrived in Dubai yesterday but have been given two days off ahead of their semi-final on Friday against the winners of today’s first play-off between Netherlands and UAE. lep served at 5-6 in the second, but the former World No.1 held firm and never trailed in the tiebreak, which she took 8-6.
Both players took medical time-outs, Halep for a foot problem and Andreescu for treatment on her lower back. Andreescu was struggling with her movement in the final set but kept fighting back in a match that featured 13 breaks of serve. The last came when Andreescu served at 3-4, after which Halep held to love to claim victory.
“It was a great match,” Halep said. “I’m proud I could fight in this way because I’ve had a month when I didn’t really practice because of my back injury, but it looks like I’m still there.”
In the other Purple Group match, Elina Svitolina began the defence of her title with a 7-6 6-4 victory over Karolina Pliskova.
NEW British No.2 Cameron Norrie was beaten 3-6 2-6 by Milos Raonic in the first round of the Paris Masters yesterday.
The 24-year-old had come through qualifying to make the main draw of the indoor tournament but was under pressure from the start, saving a break point in each of his opening service games.
Raonic eventually took an opportunity in game six before then serving out the set in 32 minutes.
The Canadian maintained his momentum with another break at the start of the second set before moving 3-1 ahead.
Norrie, currently ranked 57 th, managed to stay in touch with Raonic after holding his next service game, but then needed some extended medical treatment for what appeared to be hip and groin problems.
The Briton was eventually able to continue, but another break from Raonic put the Canadian 5-2 ahead and in sight of victory, which was wrapped up on his next service game to love.
Raonic, the World No.32 who has overcome his own injury problems this year, will go on to play fifth seed Dominic Thiem.
Roger Federer, meanwhile, has withdrawn from this week’s event in Paris in order to “pace himself ”, with next month’s ATP Finals in London on the horizon.
The 38-year-old is playing in his 22nd season on the ATP Tour and won a record-extending 10th Swiss Indoors Championship title on Sunday.
“I am extremely disappointed to have to pull out,” Federer said.
“I want to play as long as possible on the Tour. I’m sorry for my French fans who I’ll see at Roland Garros in 2020.”