No second round for Bianca Andreescu: Pulls out of Canadian Open before showdown with Andreeva

Bianca Andreescu's withdrawal from the Canadian Open has been confirmed, following the ankle injury she sustained exactly at match point against Barbora Krejcikova. Once again, luck was not on the side of the former US Open champion, who had played a great match against Krejcikova, but an injury prevents her from returning to the court for the scheduled clash against Mirra Andreeva.

The former world No. 4 simply seems unable to put injuries behind her, and even when she manages to return to the courts, physical problems reappear. This time it was especially unfortunate, as she suffered a fall due to landing awkwardly on her foot in the final moments of the match against Krejcikova.

Andreescu's victory ends in heartbreak

It was probably the most interesting match of the women's draw in the first round, with two Grand Slam champions facing each other in search of regaining prominence on the Tour. Two players whose careers have been hampered by injuries, and where local hero Andreescu – Canadian Open champion in 2019 – was undoubtedly the crowd favorite.

The world No. 187 was impeccable in the key moments of the match, with a first set of high intensity from both sides. Andreescu looked more confident in the crucial moments, saving up to 6 break points throughout the first set and taking one of the opportunities that Krejcikova offered her mid-set. Andreescu struggled to close out the set on her serve but overcame a resilient Krejcikova, taking the set 6-3.

In the second set, the Czech two-time Grand Slam champion began to recover ground, getting an early break and taking the lead on her serve to 3-0. However, she couldn't maintain the momentum, and Andreescu regained confidence as the games progressed. She secured two consecutive breaks and saved three break points against her – totaling 5 games in a row in her favor.

When she was serving at 5-4 in the second set, the Canadian had her second match point in her favor when, in the middle of a rally, she landed awkwardly on her left foot and suffered an ankle sprain, which brought her to the brink of retiring. She had to be attended to by doctors on court while Andreescu was in tears over the inopportune moment she sustained the injury.

Despite everything, the former world No. 4 decided to continue the match, and play resumed at deuce. A couple of unforced errors from Krejcikova on return ended up giving Andreescu the victory, who finished the match injured and it seemed probable that she would not be in condition to return for the second round, although she didn't want to take anything for granted.

Match Statistics Andreescu vs. Krejcikova

Another setback: Andreescu's injury woes continue

Andreescu was scheduled to return this Tuesday to play the second round of the Canadian Open against 5th seed Mirra Andreeva, who, after a bye, was waiting to find out her opponent. It was one of the most anticipated matches of the second round, especially because when Andreescu is physically well, she can beat any opponent on the Tour, and her home confidence promised a potentially high-level clash.

However, what many expected happened: Andreescu failed to recover and decided to withdraw from the tournament, though with no clear signs of the severity of her injury or when she might return to the courts. The 25-year-old tennis player once again faces a setback in her career with injuries that seem like an unending story.

On the other hand, world No. 5 Mirra Andreeva secures her spot in the third round of the Canadian Open without even stepping onto the court, and is still waiting to find out her opponent, who will be decided between 28th seed McCartney Kessler and Australian star Maya Joint – who comes with confidence after eliminating local favorite Leylah Fernandez in straight sets in the first round.