Bianca Andreescu on Saturday beat Sofia Kenin of the US 6-4, 7-6 (5) in their Rogers Cup semi-final to become the first Canadian woman to reach the championship match of the tournament since 1969.
Andreescu, who shot to prominence with her Indian Wells triumph in March, extended her dream run in her home country when she fired a backhand winner on her fifth match point.
For Andreescu, who made her return to action in Toronto after missing the past few months with a shoulder injury, the win was her first two-set victory all week, after having spent more time on the court than any other player.
Photo: AFP
“I’ve been through so much the past two months, and all I can say is that I’m so happy to be back on the court,” an emotional Andreescu said. “I’m glad it was two sets today — but it wasn’t easy. I was so, so nervous and I just felt like crying after, because I’m just so happy. I’d say this is even bigger than winning Indian Wells.”
A relieved Andreescu, in her first tournament since she withdrew from the French Open ahead of the second round, dropped to her knees and kissed the blue hardcourt, while the home crowd chanted her name.
Andreescu had to fight plenty of nerves as she struggled to put away Kenin, who won three consecutive games in the second set to level at 5-5.
When Kenin lost the next game, she took a medical timeout and left the court to get treatment on what she later said was a groin injury.
Kenin returned to the court and won a lengthy seven-deuce game to set up the tiebreak, during which there was little to separate the players until Andreescu ripped the backhand winner to end the match.
The unseeded Canadian has knocked out some big names this week, including fifth seed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands in the last 16 and the Czech Republic’s third seed Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals.
Andreescu faced three-time champion Serena Williams in yesterday’s final.
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Rafael Nadal yesterday played Russia’s Daniil Medvedev for the Rogers Cup title in Montreal after injured Gael Monfils of France on Saturday withdrew from his semi-final match with the Spanish top seed.
Medvedev topped Karen Khachanov in an all-Russian semi-final before Monfils announced he was in no shape to face Nadal a couple of hours after injuring his left ankle in a quarter-final win over Roberto Bautista Agut.
Eighth seed Medvedev prevailed 6-1, 7-6 (6) over Khachanov.
“I played amazing, but there were two moments in the match I should have won easier,” the 23-year-old Medvedev said. “I was confident about myself and then there were some mistakes I should not have done.”
Medvedev was upset at letting a break advantage slip away on two occasions in the second set, including at 5-4, as he tried to serve out the match.
He was also unhappy that after he led the tiebreak 2-1, Khachanov scored four consecutive points.
Medvedev fought back to tie at 4-4 and, after two more ties, won the final two points and the match.
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