Bianca Andreescu eliminated from National Bank Open in dramatic 3rd-round match
Defending champion had match stretched out with 2 rain delays, medical time outs
Canada's Bianca Andreescu had a few words for the woman who ended her quest to defend her National Bank Open title on Thursday.
"I told her she better win now," Andreescu said with a smile, describing her net-side conversation with Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
The duo battled through two hotly contested sets Friday before Jabeur pulled away in the third for a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1 third-round victory.
Andreescu, the No. 2 seed, saved 5-of-11 break points across the match and Jabeur hit nine aces to secure her spot in the quarter-finals.
The match stretched out over nearly four hours, with two rain delays, two medical time outs and two hours, 39 minutes spent on the court.
"I'm super disappointed in how I played," said Andreescu, a 21-year-old native of Mississauga, Ont. "But at the same time, Ons played super well. And I tried to play my best with what I had today."
WATCH | Andreescu ousted in National Bank Open 3rd round:
Still, her frustration with the loss was palpable.
"I know I could have won this tournament again. [Expletive] happens," said the world No. 8. "I know that I'm going to bounce back."
Andreescu was looking to defend her title after winning the tournament, formerly known as the Rogers Cup, in 2019. The event was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jabeur will face either Danielle Collins or Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals on Friday. The two American qualifiers were set to meet in the round of 16 on Thursday night.
The boisterous crowd of about 5,000 erupted in applause with every point Andreescu scored, but a smaller contingent — many draped in Tunisian flags — eagerly voiced their support for Jabeur, too.
Jabeur broke early
Jabeur was broken early in the first set but jumped out to a 5-3 lead, and Andreescu was forced to work her way back with a combination of powerful serves and smartly placed returns.
Andreescu appeared to win the set with a shot down the line before the chair umpire called for a review. The video replay showed the shot falling just wide.
A long return from Jabeur sealed the hour-long set. Each woman won two breaks and had an ace across the frame.
Andreescu took a medical timeout during the set break and appeared to receive treatment on her foot.
Heavy rain soaked the court midway through the second set, forcing an extended delay with Jabeur up 3-2 but Andreescu ahead 40-0 in the sixth game.
Jabeur, the world No. 22, used the break to look at stats with her team and find ways to improve her game.
"I wanted to see what I was doing wrong because I knew it was very close," she said, adding that focusing on her first serve made a big difference.
After the nearly hour-long break in play, Andreescu held her serve to pull even at 3-3.
It was a physical second set, with both players making mad dashes across the court to keep the ball in play.
A medical timeout forced another delay after Andreescu slipped and fell well below the baseline, apparently injuring her left foot. She stayed down on the court for several moments before getting up and limping to her chair where medical staff provided treatment.
After having her big toe taped up, the Canadian returned to the baseline to serve and quickly knotted the set at 4-4.
Another rain delay
Another sprinkling of rain provided yet another delay, with ball boys and girls using towels to dry the court's lines before play resumed and Jabeur took the second set.
The boisterous crowd of about 5,000 erupted in applause with every point Andreescu scored, but a smaller contingent — many draped in Tunisian flags — eagerly voiced their support for Jabeur, too.
There was a "crazy battle" both on the court and in the stands, Jabeur said with a smile. She noted that the DJ even scrounged up some Tunisian music that made he laugh during a break between games.
"It felt like home," she said.
Earlier on Thursday, Canadian Rebecca Marino saw her remarkable run at the tournament come to an end with a third-round 6-1, 6-3 loss to No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
The 30-year-old wild-card entry from Vancouver made it through to the round of 16 with upset wins over No. 16 seed Madison Keys and Spain's Paula Badosa, the world No. 31.
"It didn't matter who I was going to play. I just wanted to leave it all on the court and give it my best shot," Marino, ranked 220th in the world, told reporters after the loss. "In my heart, I feel like I belong with these players, I belong at this level. And I feel the results demonstrated that. I'm glad I got to show everyone how I play."
WATCH | Marino's run at National Bank Open ends after loss to Sabalenka:
Marino stepped away from tennis
High-level tennis isn't new to the Canadian. She had a career-high No. 38 WTA ranking back in 2011, but stepped away from the sport for nearly five years to deal with depression.
She fell behind early in Thursday's match with Sabalenka saving four break points to cruise to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
Sabalenka, the world No. 3, knew coming in that Marino serves well and tries to force her opponents wide. She also knew there was little on the line for the underdog.
"For her, it was nothing to lose today and the crowd was supporting her, so she kind of was in a good shape and good mood," Sabalenka said. "So I was trying to not give her any opportunities to come back in the match or even to put any pressure on me. I was kind of aggressive from the beginning to the end.
"It's dangerous to play against players who have nothing to lose."
Marino came out strong in the second set with a pair of aces and held her serve through the first six games. But she struggled with break points, going 0-for-5 across the 59-minute match.
"I'm a little disappointed with today, but overall, if I look at the grand scheme of the week, I think there's a lot of positives I can take from this experience and I'm really proud of myself," she said.
Sabalenka will face No. 8 seed Aryna Azarenka, also of Belarus, in the quarter-finals on Friday.
The next round will also see Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo take on No. 4 seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, and Italy's Camila Giorgi battle No. 15-seed American Cori Gauff.
