Andreescu Claims Rogers Cup Title Over Injured Serena

August 12, 2019 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo courtesy of Rogers Cup

 

Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu took home her second WTA title of the year, becoming the first player from Canada to win the Rogers Cup in a half century in Toronto on Sunday.

Andreescu was trailing Serena Williams 1-3 when the 23-time Grand Slam champion was forced to retire with back spasms.

“It’s not easy for Serena, for sure, to pull out, especially to pull out in a final,” said the 19-year-old Andreescu, who won in Indian Wells earlier this season. “I know how she feels because I’ve done that many times in my short career. But sometimes you just have to listen to your body.

And yeah, it’s not the way I wanted to win, but a win is a win. So I’m really, really happy.”

Andreescu becomes the first player from her country to win the Rogers Cup, formerly called the Canadian Open, since Faye Urban in 1969, and she climbs to No. 14 in the world rankings.

As for Serena, she said she began feeling the pain in her back during her semifinal match the day before, and wanted to give it a go in Sunday’s final but the pain was just too much as they got halfway through the opening set.

“It started yesterday in my match and it just got worse. Just my whole back completely spasmed, and to a point where I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t really move,” said Serena. “I don’t want to get this far and not at least try. I think I would have really regretted not at least going out there and seeing maybe if a miracle happened.”

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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