Tennis-Andreescu leaves courtroom in wheelchair, Sabalenka surges in Miami
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(Reuters) -Former U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu left the courtroom in a wheelchair on the Miami Open on Monday after sustaining a decrease left leg damage that compelled her to retire from her final 16 assembly with Ekaterina Alexandrova.
After the opening set was hit by a two-hour rain delay, Canadian Andreescu went down whereas shifting throughout the baseline in the course of the third sport of the second set, grabbing her ankle and screaming in ache.
Andreescu was in tears as the published picked up the 2019 Flushing Meadows champion screaming: “I’ve by no means felt this type of ache earlier than”, when the medical employees arrived to deal with her.
She was ultimately helped to her ft and shared a hug with Russian Alexandrova earlier than leaving Laborious Rock Stadium in a wheelchair to a standing ovation from the group.
Alexandrova superior 7-6(0) 0-2 (ret.) and can subsequent face Petra Kvitova, who defeated Varvara Gracheva 7-5 7-6(5).
“I am simply actually sorry that it occurred to (Andreescu),” Alexandrova mentioned. “Seeing her on the courtroom in a lot ache, it is simply painful to observe.
“You can’t assist, you simply can do nothing, which is horrible. And I believe she’s going to be nice quickly, and I am wishing for her speedy restoration.”
Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka wanted simply over an hour to beat former French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 6-2, whereas Elena Rybakina beat Elise Mertens 6-4 6-3.
Rybakina, who received the Indian Wells crown in California, would change into solely the fifth lady to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ if she triumphs in Miami.
‘LIKE A VACATION’
Earlier, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-3 4-6 6-4 to arrange a gathering with Russian 14th seed Karen Khachanov, who received 6-2 6-4 in opposition to Czech Jiri Lehecka.
Tsitsipas, nonetheless coping with an ongoing shoulder challenge and enjoying his first match of the Miami fortnight following a bye and walkover, respectively, within the opening two rounds, had 12 aces and saved three of 4 break factors within the two-hour match.
“I used to be ready for a really very long time to get on the market and play,” mentioned Tsitsipas. “It nearly felt like a trip this final week, staying in Miami, so I’m glad I acquired began.
“I will not lie, it was troublesome on the market in opposition to an opponent that has proven good tennis in opposition to prime gamers prior to now.”
The match remained on serve till Tsitsipas broke for a 5-3 lead within the opening body earlier than happening to carry at like to seize the primary set with out dealing with a break level.
Tsitsipas was examined early within the second set when he fell behind 0-40 and wanted to win 5 consecutive factors to carry serve and draw stage at 1-1 however couldn’t repeat that escape at 4-5 as Garin broke to like to power a decider.
The Greek squandered two break level probabilities within the opening sport of a 3rd set however acquired the break he would wish at 4-4 when Garin double-faulted whereas at 40-30 in a sport the Chilean went on to lose earlier than Tsitsipas served out the match.
Argentine Francisco Cerundolo shocked fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2 7-5, whereas Frenchman Adrian Mannarino knocked out eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(5) 7-6(0) and American Frances Tiafoe misplaced 6-3 6-4 to Lorenzo Sonego.
In different ladies’s matches, third seed Jessica Pegula beat Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1 7-5 in a match the place she broke 4 instances throughout a 28-minute first set after which erased a 5-2 double-break to keep away from being pushed right into a decider.
Pegula, a Miami semi-finalist final 12 months who lives about half-hour from the match venue, has not dropped a set over her first threes matches and can subsequent face Russia’s Anastasia Potapova, a 6-4 7-6(4) winner over China’s Zheng Qinwen.
Italian twenty fifth seed Martina Trevisan loved a 6-3 6-3 win over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, the Latvian twenty fourth seed, to achieve the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 occasion for the primary time.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, Manasi Pathak and Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Modifying by Pritha Sarkar, Peter Rutherford)
