Bianca Andreescu had the wind 含羞草研究社� and the home-soil crowd 含羞草研究社� firmly at her back.
The Canadian looking to climb a tennis mountain she含羞草研究社檚 conquered before blasted a shot down the line to make an early statement at the National Bank Open.
Three aces followed. Seven games later, she was up a break in the second set. Fans inside Sobeys Stadium expected the easy night to continue.
The wheels instead fell off in spectacular fashion.
A stunned Andreescu lost 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Ukraine含羞草研究社檚 Lesia Tsurenko in first-round action Tuesday 含羞草研究社� a bitterly disappointing result following that bright start as she aims to return to the sport含羞草研究社檚 top tier following a 10-month injury absence.
含羞草研究社淚 played some of my best tennis for the first set and a little bit,含羞草研究社� said the 24-year-old, who fought back tears at the end of her post-match press conference.
含羞草研究社淎nd then tennis just kicks you right in the butt sometimes.含羞草研究社�
The first Canadian to win the country含羞草研究社檚 national title in 55 years as part of a banner 2019 season, Andreescu is currently No. 175 in the world following a back injury last summer that forced her off the WTA Tour until this spring.
She made the third round at both the French Open and Wimbledon before winning one match at the Paris Olympics.
The product of nearby Mississauga, Ont., who won the 2019 U.S. Open at age 19, had a string of health concerns 含羞草研究社� knee, foot and ankle injuries 含羞草研究社� in recent seasons before the back issue flared up a year ago.
含羞草研究社淎ll I can really think about is how s含羞草研究社敽卟菅芯可鐢y I feel,含羞草研究社� said Andreescu, who was once ranked fourth. 含羞草研究社淚 was feeling really great coming into the tournament, feeling my tennis really well.含羞草研究社�
Tsurenko, 35, won the two previous meetings between the players, including in the third round of last year含羞草研究社檚 French Open.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 want to be discouraged,含羞草研究社� Andreescu continued. 含羞草研究社淔or a match to just turn around like that, it sucks.含羞草研究社�
The NBO rotates the men含羞草研究社檚 and women含羞草研究社檚 brackets between Toronto and Montreal each year.
The women含羞草研究社檚 event endured a boatload of withdrawals 含羞草研究社� including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek 含羞草研究社� late last week following the Olympics.
Also skipping Toronto are Wimbledon champion and world No. 10 Barbora Krejcikova (thigh injury), No. 4 Elena Rybakina (bronchitis), No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, No. 8 Maria Sakkari and No. 9 Danielle Collins.
The watered-down field is headlined by No. 2 Coco Gauff of the U.S. and No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka of Russia. American Jessica Pegula, No. 6 overall and last year含羞草研究社檚 NBO winner in Montreal, is also in Canada to defend her title.
No. 25 Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., is Canada含羞草研究社檚 top-ranked player.
Other notable first-round singles matches Tuesday saw No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and No. 12 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus advance in straight sets.
Poised to open her pursuit of the national singles title Wednesday night against China含羞草研究社檚 Zhang Shuai, Fernandez and younger sister Bianca upset the fifth-seeded doubles team of Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Brazil含羞草研究社檚 Luisa Stefani.
An aggressive Andreescu was shot out of a cannon Tuesday against Tsurenko, opening with a strong forehand down the line before firing three aces and pumping her fist in front of the partisan crowd to win the first set in just 20 minutes.
She secured her fourth break to open the second set against her 85th-ranked opponent to take a seventh straight game.
The tables, however, drastically turned from there, with Tsurenko pushing back to even the match as Andreescu 含羞草研究社� either tired or feeling the pressure 含羞草研究社� faltered badly.
A serve that had been so dominant evaporated into the midsummer air.
Tsurenko dug in. There were no answers.
含羞草研究社淐hanged her game style,含羞草研究社� Andreescu said. 含羞草研究社淪he was a complete wall today. I could not break her at all. Then in turn, that makes me think about how I含羞草研究社檓 doing. Am I not doing something right or should I be doing more?
含羞草研究社淚t was just this constant battle with myself on what to do.含羞草研究社�
A frustrated Andreescu was broken three times in the third set as Tsurenko built a 5-0 lead. The Canadian battled hard to win four straight games before Tsurenko eventually sealed her first victory since May.
含羞草研究社淚t sucks,含羞草研究社� said Andreescu, who paused to compose herself when asked about the fans in Toronto after Tuesday含羞草研究社檚 early script dramatically flipped.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 sorry that I didn含羞草研究社檛 get the win for you guys 含羞草研究社� I appreciate all the support.含羞草研究社�
WINNERS HONOURED
Leylah Fernandez, Gabriela Dabrowski, Rebecca Marino, Marina Stakusic, Eugenie Bouchard and coach Heidi El Tabakh were presented rings for capturing Canada含羞草研究社檚 first-ever Billie Jean King Cup 含羞草研究社� the top women含羞草研究社檚 international tennis tournament 含羞草研究社� last November.
PURSE PARITY COMING
This year含羞草研究社檚 NBO purse for the women is set at just over US$3.2 million, while the men are playing for just shy of $6.8 million. Tennis Canada and National Bank pledged last year to have equal prize money by 2027.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2024.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
