MIAMI — Bianca Andreescu is feeling closer to her old self as she moves on to the quarterfinals at the Miami Open.
The eighth-seeded Canadian, from Mississauga, Ont., clinched her spot at the WTA Tour 1000 event with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the 12th-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain on Monday night.
This is Andreescu’s third tournament back after a 16-plus-month absence and she’s trying to recapture the form of her breakthrough 2019 season when she won three tournaments, including the U.S. Open.
“I feel like this (match) was a step closer to feeling as good as I was in 2019,” she said after beating Muguruza Monday. “And I want to just keep rolling like that and feeling really good out there and clutching tough moments.”
With her mom, dad and dog Coco watching from her box, Andreescu broke the former world No. 1 in the first game of the third set and rolled from there, beating a player who already has a title and two runner-up showings this year.
It’s always satisfying to win in three sets, especially after dropping an opener, Andreescu said.
“Even when I’m down, I know I can find a way — most of the time, not all of the time — most of the time I can find a way to come back and do really, really well,” she said. “And I keep proving that to myself.”
The Canadian, who saved six of eight break points, will face unseeded Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Andreescu broke the hard-hitting Muguruza twice in the second set after not having one break-point opportunity against her aggressive opponent in the first.
The second break, putting Andreescu up 5-3, came immediately after Muguruza got back on serve with her own break. A volley by the Canadian touched the tape and went over before an unforced error by Muguruza finished the game, prompting a trademark “Come on” from Andreescu.
Muguruza notched the only break of the first set to take a 5-3 lead and then recorded four straight points on serve to take the opener.
“I knew she was going to come out really, really strong. And that’s what she did,” Andreescu said. “I had to re-adapt, which I did in the second set, I regrouped and I kept fighting. I changed my game plan a little bit and it worked.”
The 27-year-old Muguruza captured the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon titles.
Andreescu notched a 6-1, 6-0 win in their only other meeting in 2019 at Indian Wells, Calif. That quarterfinal win helped send the Canadian to her first career WTA Tour title.
Andreescu returned from her 16-plus-month layoff following a knee injury in February at the Australian Open, losing in the second round of the Grand Slam.
The 20-year-old Canadian followed that up by reaching the semifinals of an event in Melbourne for players eliminated early from the Australian Open, but a leg injury suffered there kept her out until Miami.
Since returning from her extended absence, Andreescu’s been working to play without expectations.
“I feel like this tournament, I’m just going with the flow and having fun out there,” she said. “And it’s really showing and I want to continue that because that’s when I play my best tennis.”
Earlier Monday, Canada’s Milos Raonic advanced to the men’s round of 16.
The 12th-seeded Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., reached the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 event for the fifth time in 10 appearances with a 6-4, 7-5 win over No. 20 seed Ugo Humbert of France.
A potential all-Canadian fourth-round matchup between Raonic and sixth-seed Denis Shapovalov was dashed when Shapovalov was upset 6-3, 7-6 (6) by No. 26 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland later Monday.
Raonic converted his first match-point chance to win the contest in one hour 39 minutes.
The hard-serving Canadian had 12 aces to Humbert’s nine, and won 77 per cent of his first-serve points.
Raonic saved all three break points he faced, while breaking Humbert twice in five opportunities.
Raonic is now 2-0 against Humbert after winning a third-set tiebreak last year in Paris.
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., struggled to make the most of his chances against Hurkacz, who saved all three break points he faced. Hurkacz had just one break-point opportunity, but cashed in on it to take a 5-3 lead en route to taking the first set.
Shapovalov is now 1-3 against Hurkacz.
Raonic will face the Pole for the first time in their fourth-round contest on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2021.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
