Andreescu wins and withdraws from Strasbourg
STRASBOURG / WASHINGTON, May 25, 2021 (by Michael Dickens)
No. 7 worldwide Bianca Andreescu had just won two clay court matches at WTA level for the first time in his career. At the end of his 65-minute, 6-1, 6-4 win over qualifying for 259th place Maryna Zanevska from Belgium, the seeded 20-year-old Canadian seemed happy to advance to the quarter-finals of the Strasbourg internationals in this town in northeastern France on the border with Germany.
Speaking on the pitch after winning the second round, Andreescu said: “I think I played really good tennis today. Just like my first round, I wanted to go out there and give it 100%, stay focused from start to finish, and that’s what that I did. So I’m super happy.
Quick work from the first seed 👋
?? @Bandreescu_ qualifies for the quarter-finals in Strasbourg with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Zanevska!# IS21 pic.twitter.com/WzCqyd8QBX
– wta (@WTA) May 25, 2021
However, instead of looking forward to a day off while waiting for the winner of Wednesday’s second round match between the No.6 seed Zhang shuai from China, ranked 45th and 61st Sorana Cirstea from Romania, Andreescu made an unexpected announcement during his virtual press conference that stunned journalists. She said she decided to withdraw from the Strasbourg event as a precaution in an effort to be healthy enough to play at the upcoming French Open, which begins in Paris on Sunday.
“I’m going to retire from my next match because I felt a little abdominal tear – just a little – and I don’t want to push for Roland Garros at all. I don’t want to take any chances, so I have to step back. Nothing serious, however. Andreescu said in a neutral tone, interrupting his response to a question posed by Tennis TourTalk about how her victory today compared to Monday – what satisfied her and what disappointed her. “Yeah, just a little discomfort. “
Bianca Andreescu withdraws for medical reasons.
We wish her well and hope to see her again next year 💪@Bandreescu_ forfeit for medical reasons and is out of the IS tournament. We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her again next year!# IS21 pic.twitter.com/DBlqBbGMRq– Strasbourg International (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 25, 2021
Tennis TourTalk asked Andreescu if the injury was something that happened in today’s game. She confirmed that this happened today. “In the second set, it got a little more intense, obviously. I felt some unease. “
Andreescu had prefaced his surprise announcement saying: “The conditions have changed. There was rain, there was wind, no more bugs! So that was a bit of a challenge, but it went really well. … I am very happy with today’s victory.
[Centre court] No hesitation from the top seed @Bandreescu_ 🇨🇦 who confirmed his place in the quarterfinals by beating #Zanevska in 1h05. 6-1, 6-4 # IS21 #WTA pic.twitter.com/c72FZvvymT
– Strasbourg International (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 25, 2021
After dominating the 24-minute first set by opening a double lead, Andreescu got out of trouble in the second set in which she was beaten in back-to-back service matches to face a 4-2 deficit. However, Andreescu was determined to raise the bar against Zanevska and that is exactly what he did. She beat her Belgian opponent in the seventh game and consolidated the break to draw a 4-way draw for all. Then Andreescu broke again to take the 5-4 advantage and served the game with a loving hold and victory.
Andreescu had two aces for a single double fault, won 69% (22 of 32) of his first serves and converted five of five break point opportunities against Zanevska.
[Court Central] @Bandreescu_ 🇨🇦 wins the first set 6-1 in 🕐 25 min against Maryna Zanevska 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/4ER27I0JrD
– Strasbourg International (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 25, 2021
“Super disappointing to have to retire, but the tennis I played in both games was really, really good. I performed everything exactly as I wanted.… So I’m really happy with these two games in front of the French. said Andreescu.
After Andreescu’s initial announcement of her withdrawal, she was asked if she had considered waiting until Wednesday to see if she would feel well enough to play her quarterfinal game on Thursday. She said: “No, I have done this in the past and it never works out my way.”
Pegula ousted in the first round of Strasbourg
Arantxa Rus has struggled to find his place this season, both on hard and clay courts. More recently, however, the 30-year-old Dutchwoman is starting to turn things around.
On Tuesday, in cold and windy conditions on the Patrice-Dominguez court of the Strasbourg Tennis Club, the Netherlands Rus beat seeded number 2 Jessica pegula of the United States, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the second round of this red clay preparation of the WTA 250 series for Roland Garros. The victory improved his record of wins and losses in all competitions to 10-11, while it was a disappointing loss for Pegula, who fell to 21-9 after reaching the fourth round in Madrid and being a quarter-finalist in Rome two weeks ago.
Upset in Strasbourg!
?? @Arantxarus takes the seed # 2 in Pegula form to reach the last 16# IS21 pic.twitter.com/X3HLhewfSr
– wta (@WTA) May 25, 2021
Earlier this month, Rus gave up to play an ITF Challenger 60K in La Bilbao D’Emporda, Spain to work on his game and boost his confidence. She reached the title match before losing 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (8) to Russia’s Irina Khromacheva. Time spent on the WTA tour seemed to have helped her – and it showed in her dismantling of Pegula.
In Strasbourg, left-hander Rus converted five of the 11 break point chances she had against 29th-ranked Pegula, the highest-ranked opponent she has beaten this season, and won 52% (33 out of 63) of its points of return. She won on her first match point opportunity after the American hit a long backhand that capped a final 16-stroke.
“I’m really happy with the victory here today” Rus said during an interview on the ground. “I played really good tennis and worked really hard the last few weeks training. [On the court] I felt pretty good. I try to play every point [my best]. It’s cold, windy, I was just focusing on moving every time. If you don’t move with the wind, it’s not easy.
Rus topped the struggling Pegula 69-56 to win just his fourth WTA Main Draw game of the season. It advanced her against France Harmony tanning, ranked 151st, who beat n ° 67 Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium, 6-4, 6-4. Rus will look to win back-to-back matches for the first time in 2021.
[Court 1] @TanHarmony is the last qualified for the 1/8 finals of the # IS21 after his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Alison Van Uytvanck 🇧🇪
Michel Grasso / Who is Maurice? pic.twitter.com/IbvBLqr4LN
– Strasbourg International (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 25, 2021
Rogers-McHale: Too bad there was a loser
He lasted three hours and 23 minutes – and took 264 points to decide – but seeded seventh Shelby rogers won an all-American battle against Christine McHale, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 7-5, to advance to the second round against qualifier Jule Niemeier of Germany.
Creepy. Tenacious.
?? @Shelby_Rogers_ saves a match point and beats his compatriot McHale in a duel of 3h23m to reach Round 2 in Strasbourg 💪# IS21 pic.twitter.com/mOOEad8VKd
– wta (@WTA) May 25, 2021
It’s a shame there was a loser in this one, as Rogers, 46th, and McHale, No.95, deserved to win. After missing a match point in the second set tie-break, Rogers lost a 4-1 lead in the third set. Then the South Carolina native regrouped and converted her eighth break point on 15 chances to go ahead 6-5 after saving a match point a game earlier in Game 10 of 12 points to keep for 5-all. Finally, Rogers served the win over McHale and the two shared a long, warm hug at the net.
Rogers overcame 11 double faults and six interruptions to his serve en route to his first victory in over a month. She edged McHale 136-128 to break a three-game losing streak on clay spanning her last three tournaments.
Rogers then shared his thoughts on the game on his social media platforms.
To 😤 The 😤 Fight
That’s why we play ⤵️ https://t.co/GssnqvPF8V
– wta (@WTA) May 25, 2021
Around the Strasbourg Tennis Club
• During a clash in the first round of the former Top 30 juniors, ranked 216th Jule niemeier from Germany beat the qualifier Diane perry de France, ranked 307th, 6-4, 6-3, to claim their first win in the WTA main draw. He advanced 21-year-old German from Dortmund against No.7 seed Shelby Rogers of the United States.
Earlier this month, Niemeier won a $ 25,000 clay court tournament in Prague, after advancing throughout the main draw. She qualified in Strasbourg with earlier victories against Bianca Turati from Italy and Andrea Petkovic of Germany. In all competitions, Niemeier is now 21-8.
Casually take out the hot dog 🌭
🇩🇪 Jule Niemeier takes his first WTA main draw victory! ??# IS21 pic.twitter.com/pET2iHC20C
– wta (@WTA) May 25, 2021
• Magda Linette from Poland, ranked 48th, qualified for the quarter-finals on Thursday when her opponent, the 65thAlizé Cornet de France retired midway through the second set of their second round match with a hip injury. Linette was leading 7-6 (2), 3-0, when Cornet was unable to continue. She will play the winner of Wednesday’s second round match between the No.4 seed Yulia Pouintseva from Kazakhstan and Switzerland Jil teichmann.
?? @MagdaLinette progressing towards @WTA_Strasbourg quarter-finals, as Cornet retires in the second set due to injury. pic.twitter.com/5bDHIdi6c4
– wta (@WTA) May 25, 2021
What they say
Eighteen years Diane parry de France is part of a new generation of French actors who include Clara Burel, Chloe Paquet and Elsa Jacquemot. All of them appeared this week during the Strasbourg Internationals. “We hope to improve our game to be the best we can be. The future looks bright. Parry received a wild card for the Roland Garros main draw next week. “I will give everything I have on the field. It would be great if I could win. I will try to play my best tennis.
The results of the Strasbourg Internationals on Tuesday
Order of play for the Strasbourg Internationals on Wednesday
Discover the table of matches for tomorrow, with the end of the 2nd round of the tournament 🤩!
Find @CaroGarcia, @clara_burel, Alexandrova and many others on the TCS courts, games start at 11am!Book your tickets now to see the best of women’s tennis! pic.twitter.com/e80BDNR3pp
– Strasbourg International (@WTA_Strasbourg) May 25, 2021