(Toronto) Bianca Andreescu is eliminated from the National Bank Open.
The Canadian fell 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the first round on Tuesday – a bitterly disappointing result after a strong start.
An aggressive Andreescu started the first set, opening with a powerful forehand down the line before firing three aces and pumping her fist in front of the partisan Sobeys Stadium crowd to win in just 20 minutes.
“I played my best tennis in the first set and even a little bit more,” said Andreescu, who tried to hold back tears at the end of the press conference.
“And that’s when tennis kicks your ass sometimes.”
The 24-year-old Ontarian broke for the fourth time in the duel by starting the second set against her opponent, ranked 85e world ranking, and won a seventh consecutive point.
The roles then reversed dramatically for a while. Tsurenko tied the match while Andreescu appeared to tire.
The Ukrainian broke Andreescu, who had been frustrated three times in the third set, to take a 5-0 lead. Andreescu then fought hard to win four straight points before a nervous Tsurenko finally sealed her first win since May.
“All I can think about is how bad I feel,” said Andreescu, who has already climbed to No. 4 in the world. “I felt really good coming into this tournament. I liked my game.”
“I don’t want to get discouraged,” she added, however. “A turnaround like this just sucks.”
The first Canadian to win the Canadian Open title in 55 years during an exceptional 2019 season, Andreescu currently sits at No. 175e world ranking following a back injury suffered a year ago that forced her off the WTA Tour until last spring.
She reached the third round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon before losing in the second round at the Paris Olympics.
Andreescu, who won the 2019 U.S. Open at age 19, had a series of health problems — knee, foot and ankle injuries — in recent seasons before back problems flared up in August 2023.
Tsurenko, 35, has won both previous meetings between the two players, including in the third round of Roland Garros last year.