Bianca Andreescu had the match on her racquet. She had match point in the second set; however, the Canadian star who stormed through the WTA Tour in 2019 couldn't come through. Instead, she would go on to lose in three sets to Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-7(6), 3-6.
The defending U.S. Open champ hit the courts in Shenzhen, China at the WTA Finals on Monday as the No. 4 player in the world. One of only eight women's singles players invited to the season-capper, Andreescu faced Halep to start her purple pool round robin.
Statistically, Andreescu should have won the match, winning 61 percent of her first service points, 68 percent on the second serve, 42 percent of returns on Halep's first serves and 63 points to the Romanian's 53. She once again showcased a dynamic game of mixing up shot selection and placement in a battle that did take two hours and 34 minutes. Andreescu did appear to stiffen up late in the match and she had a trainer work on her back before the third set started, which may have played a role in the loss.
The Canadian will next play either Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova in pool play. The top two in each pool advance to the semifinals.
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A native of Mississauga, Andreescu has already had quite a year: a championship at the 125K Series event in Newport Beach, Calif.; a win at the prestigious Indian Wells tournament, the first wild card to do so; another WTA Tour title at home (Toronto) at the Rogers Cup; and of course her first Grand Slam title in Flushing, N.Y. In between, she battled a shoulder injury that forced her to retire in the Round of 16 in Miami and the second round of the French Open. She withdrew before Wimbledon started.
The first Canadian Grand Slam singles champ, Andreescu looked up to Halep when she was a child and the pair practiced together once, years before Andreescu was on tour. It was the first meeting between the two players of Romanian descent in a tournament.
Sporting News asked the 2019 Wimbledon champ about Bianca at the U.S. Open's media day: "I always said she's a fighter and she deserves to win these matches because she doesn't give up. She's working hard. ... I have no connection with her, like, we are not friends or something. I just told her at that time, a few years ago, to get professional because she has enough power to do that. ... She's a good player."
Sporting News has the scoring and highlights from the Andreescu-Halep match below.
(4) Bianca Andreescu loses to (5) Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-7(6), 3-6
( All times Eastern )
Third set — Andreescu loses 6-3
Andreescu loses 6-3
Halep wins three straight points to set up match point. She finishes with a big winner to complete the comeback victory.
Andreescu trails 5-3
Andreescu is broken by Halep as hee backhand hits the top of the net and falls back in. The dropped game sets up Halep serving for the match.
Andreescu trails 4-3
With Andreescu at the net, Halep sends the passing shot into the net and giving the Canadian two break point chances. She doesn't need both as the 19-year-old sends the return crosscourt for a winner.
Andreescu trails 4-2
Halep is starting to turn it on with some big-time shots. She has three break points to work with — eventually getting the break when Andreescu sends the ball into the net.
Andreescu trails 3-2
Despite going up 30-0, Andreescu can't maintain her pace as Halep holds.
Set tied 2-2
Halep had a chance to break but Andreescu once again utilized the dropshot to get things back to deuce. The 19-year-old had a few chances of her own to close out the game but it was the Romanian who walked away with the victory in the game with a winner down-the-line.
Andreescu leads 2-1
Andreescu does not seem to be moving well at times, although she does have the ability to still make the big shots — as evident with her big inside-out forehand to go up 30-15. Now up 40-15, she hits a short ball that Halep hits off the net cord. The Mississauga native returns that ball and Halep's backhand volley goes wide to give Andreescu the break.
Set tied 1-1
Andreescu holds to level the third and final set.
Andreescu trails 1-0
A quick hold by Halep.
10:42 a.m. — Medical timeout to start the third set as Halep gets her foot wrapped and then Andreescu gets her back looked at.
Second set — Andreescu loses 7-6(6)
Tiebreaker
- Andreescu serving: She shanks forehand wide. Andreescu trails 1-0.
- Halep serving: Halep with a big swinging forehand winner. Andreescu trails 2-0.
- Halep serving: Andreescu's shot hits the tape and falls back onto her side. Andreescu trails 3-0.
- Andreescu serving: Andreescu with the big inside-out forehand right off the line. Andreescu trails 3-1.
- Andreescu serving: Halep on the run cannot hit the backhand back onto the court. Andreescu trails 3-2
- Halep serving: Halep mishits the backhand wide. Tied 3-3.
- Halep serving: Off Andreescu's return, Halep with the big backhand down the line. Andreescu trails 4-3.
- Andreescu serving: Andreescu finishes a long rally with a swinging forehand volley winner into the open net. Tied 4-4.
- Andreescu serving: Backhand wide by Andreescu. Andreescu trails 5-4.
- Halep serving: A running backhand shot that Andreescu hits back into the net sets up set point. Andreescu trails 6-4.
- Halep serving: The Romanian hits the forehand long. Andreescu trails 6-5.
- Andreescu serving: A little net action as Andreescu hits a forehand volley winner. Tied 6-6.
- Andreescu serving: Hits backhand wide. Andreescu trails 7-6.
- Halep serving: Andreescu sends return way wide. Andreescu loses 8-6.
Set tied 6-6
With Halep up 40-30, Andreescu sends a backhand winner down the line to get the game to deuce. Then, the Romanian sends her shot wide to set up match point for Andreescu; however, after a rally, Andreescu hits her backhand long to do back to deuce. Halep gets the advantage and then after a battle at the baseline, she hits a backhand that snags the line.
Andreescu leads 6-5
Another perfectly timed drop shot that Halep cannot get to sets up game point. Andreescu holds and puts the pressure back on the Romanian to send the set to a tiebreak.
Set tied 5-5
Halep holds serve as Andreescu shanks the backhand. It's all level in Shenzhen.
Andreescu leads 5-4
After getting her leg taken care of, Andreescu holds serve to take the lead. She'll look to break Halep to win the match.
Set tied 4-4
Showing off her wide-range of shots in this one, Anndreescu uses a drop shot, baseline shots and her big return to even things. Before hitting the return forehand winner, she stops play to deal with some blood on her leg. Andreescu is definitely giving it all for this match. The trainer was called after the game ends to deal with a cut on her leg.
Andreescu trails 4-3
Andreescu saves a point by hitting the ball between her legs as she almost overruns it. Halep then sends her shot long. Andreescu then holds serve to get back within a game in the set.
Andreescu trails 4-2
Halep comes out storming but Andreescu is well-known on tour as a fighter. She comes back from 40-0 as the Romanian hits a backhand into the net that sends the game to deuce. However, Halep fires off her third ace and then Andreescu sends her return off the serve down the line long.
Andreescu trails 3-2
Everyone is breaking! Halep returns the break as Andreescu mishits the backhand long.
Set tied 2-2
No shocker here, the Canadian comes right back with a break of her own.
Andreescu trails 2-1
While Andreescu saved one break point, Halep capitalized on the second to take the lead.
Set tied 1-1
Halep holds — thanks to video replay as it showed her serve clipped the line.
Andreescu leads 1-0
Showcasing her all-around game, Andreescu holds to take a 1-0 lead in the second set. She is cruising.
First set — Andreescu wins 6-3
Andreescu wins the first set 6-3
It took two set points but Andreescu jumps out to a one-set lead. Halep did get the game to deuce with a swinging forehand volley to get but on set point No. 2 she sent a forehand intended for down the line into the net. Andreescu yells, "Yes" and takes the lead.
Andreescu leads 5-3
Another easy game for Andreescu who finishes with an ace.
Andreescu leads 4-3
Halep saves a few breaks — and has saved five of six in the match thus far, but Andreescu gets another after she sends a forehand winner cross-court that cuts the court. The Canadian then takes the lead as she once again goes from defense to offense and forcing her opponent to send the ball wide.
Set tied 3-3
The 19-year-old showcases just how to use serve placement to set up second shots as she dominates the game easily to level the set.
Andreescu trails 3-2
Andreescu's dominating return helps her jump out to a 40-0 lead but Halep storms back to get the game to deuce. With Andreescu running all over, she cannot get across for the forehand winner and then hits a forehand wide to get things back on serve.
Set tied 2-2
Halep breaks right back with two big passing shots. First, she anticipates the drop shot by Andreescu and hits a cross-court passing shot. Then, after a short rally and Andreescu at the net, she hits the passing shot down the line.
Andreescu leads 2-1
The first break of the match! Andreescu showcases her ability to mix up shots as she goes up 15-0 in this one with a perfectly placed drop shot. She then breaks Halep after a long baseline rally that sees the Romanian send a shot long.
Set tied 1-1
Andreescu uses her big serve to set up her secondary shots and easily holds to level the match.
Andreescu trails 1-0
A couple of unforced errors hands Halep an early lead.
Pregame
8:49 a.m. — Players are warming up.
8:44 a.m. — Bianca Andreescu walks out onto the court.
8:33 a.m. — Svitolina def. Pliskova in two sets; Andreescu is up next.
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October 28, 2019 at 07:25PM
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