ANDREESCU WINS ANOTHER MARATHON
First Canadian woman to reach semis at home in 50 years, writes
TORONTO Invincible, then invisible, then when it mattered most, impenetrable.
Bianca Andreescu showed signs of all that on Friday afternoon at the Rogers Cup en route to becoming the first Canadian woman in 50 years to reach the semifinal round on home soil.
The Canuck teen from Mississauga, Ont. put on a display of epic resolve in her quarter-final against world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, overcoming a hurting groin and prevailing 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, to secure her sixth career victory over a top-10 opponent in electrifying fashion.
“I’ve been practising a lot on trying to figure out what to do in these kind of circumstances,” Andreescu said. “And when I step out on the court, I’m fearless. I show no mercy no matter who I play, and I think that’s showing a lot.”
It sets up a semifinal showdown with 20-year-old American Sofia Kenin, who just so happens to be the last player to defeat the Canadian in a match not determined by retirement, in Acapulco, Mexico, back in February. Kenin ousted sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina 7-6 (2), 6-4 Thursday.
In evening quarter-final play, No. 8 Serena Williams of the U.S. bounced second-seeded Naomi Osaka of Japan 6-3, 6-4 in a rematch of last year’s U.S. Open final. Williams next faces Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, who advanced when Romania’s Simona Halep retired after the first set because of injury.
Andreescu, who has been out months due to a shoulder injury and is making her return to action on tour in Toronto, improved to 25-4 this season.
“Being able to accomplish what I’ve accomplished and knowing that a lot of these young athletes are watching is something really special,” said Andreescu, who remembers being spellbound watching Belinda Bencic’s epic title run here in 2015 as a fan.
In winning her latest thriller, Andreescu expanded her already swelling fan base by gutting it out in a dramatic finish. After Pliskova sent a return into the net to seal the deal, the Canadian put her hand to her ear in a move popularized by Hulk Hogan of wrestling fame.
That after nearly being down for the count.
After roaring through her opening set to put up the unlikeliest of bagels, and appearing destined to land in the semifinal round with ease, the script was flipped entirely.
Andreescu was playing her fourth three-set match in as many days — nearly nine hours of tennis, twice as much time on the court as anyone else still playing in Toronto on Friday. And it clearly was taking its toll.
With Pliskova reverting to her old self and responding in a big way to take the second set, Andreescu exited the court for a five-minute medical timeout and, after some guessing as to whether she would return to continue the match, she re-emerged with her legs and thigh taped, an aggravation of a groin issue she had been dealing with earlier in the week.
“I got really low on this one ball she hit, and I felt my groin a little bit. I felt it this morning, too. It was a bit sore, but I think it got a little bit worse during the match,” Andreescu said. “But yeah, I took the longest ice bath ever just now. I’m still shivering. So hopefully that helps.”
Andreescu winced in pain on the court and was hobbling between points, but her attempt to become the first Canadian woman to reach the semifinals on home soil since Windsor, Ont.’s Faye Urban would not be denied.
Pliskova was absolutely annihilated in the opening set, a deer caught in the headlights with Andreescu’s crafty point construction working wonders. The Canadian scored her first break in the opening game, converted on another after holding and broke her opponent’s service yet again before serving out the set and screaming “come on!” as she pumped her fist having completed the bagel.
As much as it was a thing of beauty for the hometown hope, the opening-set statline was a complete horror show for Pliskova, who committed four double faults, won just five of 11 first-serve points, with just one winner and 10 unforced errors, compared to the Canadian’s one double fault, eight of nine firstserve points won, six winners and five unforced errors.
Then came the second set cooloff. Pliskova ramped up her WTA Tour-best serve to take control, and Andreescu’s health issues changed the complexion of the match.
Still, the Canadian star has appeared most comfortable in tricky situations. She put an exclamation mark on that theory by winning three straight threeset marathons to book her spot in the quarter-final, and came up huge again against Pliskova, who needed to reach the semifinals to keep her chances at becoming the new world No. 1 intact. Pliskova last held the top ranking for seven consecutive weeks in 2017.
Andreescu started the season outside the top 100 before rocketing up the charts with a 10-match win streak that included her first career WTA Tour title at Indians Wells. She is projected to move to No. 20 next week and could go as high as No. 14 should she win outright in Toronto. Pliskova, a five-time winner on tour, has played in six main draws at the Rogers Cup, but has never gone past the quarter-finals.