Bianca Andreescu had the wind 91裸聊视频� and the home-soil crowd 91裸聊视频� firmly at her back.
The Canadian looking to climb a tennis mountain she91裸聊视频檚 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 Ukraine91裸聊视频檚 Lesia Tsurenko in first-round action Tuesday 91裸聊视频� a bitterly disappointing result following that bright start as she aims to return to the sport91裸聊视频檚 top tier following a 10-month injury absence.
91裸聊视频淚 played some of my best tennis for the first set and a little bit,91裸聊视频� said the 24-year-old, who fought back tears at the end of her post-match press conference.
91裸聊视频淎nd then tennis just kicks you right in the butt sometimes.91裸聊视频�
The first Canadian to win the country91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频� knee, foot and ankle injuries 91裸聊视频� in recent seasons before the back issue flared up a year ago.
91裸聊视频淎ll I can really think about is how s91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频攜 I feel,91裸聊视频� said Andreescu, who was once ranked fourth. 91裸聊视频淚 was feeling really great coming into the tournament, feeling my tennis really well.91裸聊视频�
Tsurenko, 35, won the two previous meetings between the players, including in the third round of last year91裸聊视频檚 French Open.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 want to be discouraged,91裸聊视频� Andreescu continued. 91裸聊视频淔or a match to just turn around like that, it sucks.91裸聊视频�
The NBO rotates the men91裸聊视频檚 and women91裸聊视频檚 brackets between Toronto and Montreal each year.
The women91裸聊视频檚 event endured a boatload of withdrawals 91裸聊视频� including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek 91裸聊视频� 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 year91裸聊视频檚 NBO winner in Montreal, is also in Canada to defend her title.
No. 25 Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., is Canada91裸聊视频檚 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 China91裸聊视频檚 Zhang Shuai, Fernandez and younger sister Bianca upset the fifth-seeded doubles team of Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Brazil91裸聊视频檚 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 91裸聊视频� either tired or feeling the pressure 91裸聊视频� faltered badly.
A serve that had been so dominant evaporated into the midsummer air.
Tsurenko dug in. There were no answers.
91裸聊视频淐hanged her game style,91裸聊视频� Andreescu said. 91裸聊视频淪he was a complete wall today. I could not break her at all. Then in turn, that makes me think about how I91裸聊视频檓 doing. Am I not doing something right or should I be doing more?
91裸聊视频淚t was just this constant battle with myself on what to do.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淚t sucks,91裸聊视频� said Andreescu, who paused to compose herself when asked about the fans in Toronto after Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 early script dramatically flipped.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 sorry that I didn91裸聊视频檛 get the win for you guys 91裸聊视频� I appreciate all the support.91裸聊视频�
WINNERS HONOURED
Leylah Fernandez, Gabriela Dabrowski, Rebecca Marino, Marina Stakusic, Eugenie Bouchard and coach Heidi El Tabakh were presented rings for capturing Canada91裸聊视频檚 first-ever Billie Jean King Cup 91裸聊视频� the top women91裸聊视频檚 international tennis tournament 91裸聊视频� last November.
PURSE PARITY COMING
This year91裸聊视频檚 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
