Mississauga tennis star ousted from French Open in second round

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Published May 25, 2022 at 4:57 pm

(File photo)

Nobody ever said getting back to the top–or close to it–in the world of tennis would be an easy journey.

Mississauga’s Bianca Andreescu is finding that out, if she didn’t already know, as she continues to make her way back from a lengthy injury/mental health break in Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles play.

Andreescu, 21, the WTA’s 72nd-ranked player heading into action this week at the French Open in Paris, fell 2-6, 4-6 to WTA No. 14 Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) in second-round action today (May 25). Bencic won Olympic gold last year.

The Mississaugan defeated WTA No. 168 Ysaline Bonaventure, of Belgium, in the first round of the French Open on Monday.

Andreescu, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world after winning the US Open in 2019, defeated her Belgian opponent in three sets (3-6, 7-5, 6-0) after starting the match slowly.

“It’s great to know that even when I am not playing my best tennis that I can find a way to win,” she told TSN after her first-round match. “I am super happy with how I managed my emotions.”

The French Open was Andreescu’s fourth tournament since returning from her absence.

Two weeks ago in Rome, Andreescu enjoyed some early success at the Italian Open, advancing to the quarter-final round before losing to the world’s top-ranked player, Poland’s Iga Swiatek (6-7, 0-6).

She made a statement at that competition by winning three matches en route to the quarter-finals, at the same time improving her WTA ranking by 49 spots.

That showing buoyed Andreescu’s hopes that she may be returning to the previous form that saw her shock the tennis world by winning the US Open three years ago.

Andreescu, who burst onto the world tennis scene with a surprise US Open win in 2019, told media at the Italian Open that the past few years have been tough for her, but she’s slowly “getting to my top form” again.

On May 1, Andreescu defeated the United States’ Danielle Collins 6-1, 6-1 at the Mutua Madrid Open for her first win over a top-10 opponent since 2019.

Collins was ranked No. 8 at the time (now 9th).

In April, Andreescu returned to the court after a six-month absence to play at the Prosche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.

Andreescu has battled through a number of injuries since capturing the hearts of many in this country in 2019 when she won the US Open, the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Over the last three years, her play has been limited due to a knee injury and COVID-19. When she did play, she was inconsistent and bowed out of tournaments early.

She says she has taken the time off to prepare herself both physically and mentally, and adds her passion for the game has returned.

 

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