TORONTO — Bianca Andreescu’s strong start turned into an early exit to her first hard-court tournament of the year, as the Canadian was beaten 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Lesia Tsurenko on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, PH time) at the National Bank Open.
Andreescu won her home tournament in her 2019 season that was highlighted later by the U.S. Open title. But she hadn’t played on hard courts since Montreal last year, ending her season because of a back injury and not returning until this year’s French Open.
Andreescu was coming off a second-round loss to eventual silver medalist Donna Vekic in the Olympics. She nearly rallied in the third set Tuesday after falling behind 5-0.
“I played some of my best tennis for the first set and a little bit,” said the 24-year-old Andreescu, who fought back tears at the end of her press conference.
“And then tennis just kicks you right in the butt sometimes.”
Tsurenko was joined in the second round by fellow Ukrainians Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk. Svitolina, the 2017 tournament champion, beat American Shelby Rogers, 6-0, 6-2, while No. 11-seeded Kostyuk ousted Tatjana Maria, 6-0, 6-2.
But No. 16-seeded Dayana Yastremska, another player from Ukraine, was eliminated after she had to stop playing in her match against Taylor Townsend because of a shoulder injury while trailing 6-3, 3-1.
Anna Kalinskaya, the No. 10 seed, and No. 12 seed Victoria Azarenka also advanced.
The tournament endured a number of withdrawals, including top-ranked Iga Swiatek late last week following the Olympics. Also skipping Toronto are Wimbledon champion and No. 10 Barbora Krejcikova (thigh injury), No. 4 Elena Rybakina (bronchitis), No. 5 Jasmine Paolini, No. 8 Maria Sakkari, and No. 9 Danielle Collins.
The field is led by No. 2 Coco Gauff and No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka. American Jessica Pegula, ranked sixth and last year’s winner in Montreal, is also in Canada to defend her title.
Nishikori wins
Over in Montreal, Kei Nishikori rallied to beat Alex Michelsen, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, on Tuesday in the first round, earning his first victory in an ATP Masters 1000 event in three years.
The 2014 U.S. Open runner-up from Japan has battled injuries in recent years and hadn’t won a match in a Masters 1000 event, the level below the four Grand Slam tournaments, since Indian Wells in 2021. He was a finalist in the Canadian tournament in 2016, falling to Novak Djokovic.
Nishikori will face No. 8 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round.
Another oft-injured past finalist in a Grand Slam tournament had to withdraw when Canadian Milos Raonic pulled out before his first-round match against No. 13 seed Holger Rune with a shoulder injury.
“I tried to warm up for my match today and the thing that was most difficult was the serve. I don’t think I would’ve been able to be competitive by any means,” said Raonic, who had felt pain in his shoulder over the past 48 hours.
“I’ve had a lot of moments (in my career) where I haven’t been able to play, but I’d say this is probably the most difficult one. I haven’t played here in five years, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to Montreal.”
Rune went on to beat Roberto Bautista Agut, who had lost in the final round of qualifying, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
Pablo Carreño Busta, the 2022 tournament champion, beat Fabian Marozsan, 6-7 (8, 7-6 (6), 6-3 for his first ATP Tour victory since the first round of the 2023 Australian Open. The Spanish player was off the tour for 15 months because of an elbow injury.
Other first-round winners included No. 15 Alejandro Tabilo, who beat Frances Tiafoe in straight sets, No. 16 seed Karen Khachanov, and Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego. / AP