(Wimbledon) Ontario’s Bianca Andreescu lost 6-4, 7-6 (5) to Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the second round of the Wimbledon tournament on Thursday.
Posted at 10:33 a.m.
It was the first career match between the two players, and Rybakina took the win after an hour and 37 minutes on court 12.
Rybakina, one of the most powerful players on the women’s circuit, once again bet on her serve to overcome her opponent. She outshot Andreescu 4-2 in aces, winning 80% of the points with her first serve.
For her part, the Maple Leaf representative stayed in the game by limiting errors — she committed fewer double faults (4-3) and unforced errors (20-16) than Rybakina.
The Kazakh, however, converted three of her four break points, while Andreescu was limited to two breaks in three opportunities.
The Canadian, 56e player in the world, had never passed the first round in her two previous participations (2017 and 2021) at the Wimbledon tournament.
For his part, Rybakina, 17e seeded, will meet China’s Qinwen Zheng, 52, in the next rounde racket in the world.
In doubles, Ontarian Gabriela Dabrowski and her Mexican playing partner Giuliana Olmos have an appointment in the first round with Belgian Yanina Wickmeyer and Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.
Elsewhere, Ontario’s Denis Shapovalov will face American Brandon Nakashima in the second round later today.