TENNIS – There was the possibility of an all-Spanish quarter-final a few days ago. However, Bianca Andreescu put paid to that with a closely fought win over Muguruza.
In the round of the last 16, Bianca Andreescu saw off Muguruza in a punishing 3 set win. Sorribes Tormo won her first ever head-to-head against Tunisian Jabeur the following day. That left some hope for a Spanish semi-finalist.
However, another three-set match – something that seems to be a Sorribes Tormo speciality – saw the No.8 seed beat the Spaniard 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Andreescu is only the third player to beat in-form Sorribes Tormo in three sets this year.
“After the first set, I was honestly so tired, but we both fought really hard,” Andreescu said on-court after the match. “She’s an incredible fighter. I have no idea how I pushed through, but I fought as hard as I could and I’m super happy.”
Players struggle to hold serve
Andreescu battled back from a 3-0, double-break deficit to take the opening set. In set two, Sorribes Tormo’s decisive service hold came by winning two straight points at 30-30. A 23-shot rally ended when an Andreescu forehand found the net.
The Spaniard was the only player to hold in the second set, taking the match to a decider. But in the final set, she lost her serve three times from 2-2, giving Andreescu the win.
The two players combined to break serve 17 times in the match overall.
Andreescu praises Sorribes Tormo
Following her best ever performance at a WTA 1000 event, Sorribes Tormo will now break into the top 50.
Andreescu was full of praise for the Spaniard and believes that she will go far.
“She doesn’t give you pace at all. Those high, heavy balls, you really have to generate your own. That consists of a lot of leg power, arm power, you’re putting your all into it. Because if you just give, like, a ball with nothing on it, she’s going to take advantage of that,” Andreescu said.
“She plays very different than most of the players on tour. She’s difficult to play because of that. You don’t always get the same rhythm. She gets to a lot of balls. That’s what I told her at the net. I was, like, ‘Girl, you can run. You’re crazy.’ I told her that she played amazing and that we’re gonna be seeing a lot of you. She just said, ‘Thank you and good luck.'”
