Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ontario is heading into the 2017 Rogers Cup in Toronto on Monday with loads of confidence. At only 16 years of age, Andreescu recorded her first main draw win in a WTA event this past week when she upset Camila Giorgi of Italy 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
However Andreescu was not done there. In the second round she upset France’s Kristina Mladenovic, the 2017 French Open quarterfinalist, and number two seed, 6-2, 6-3 before losing to Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Andreescu was not the only Canadian women’s singles tennis player who had a strong showing in the American capital city this past week. Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard of Montreal beat eighth seeded American Christina McHale 7-6, 6-0 in the first round before losing to Petkovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 in the second round.
Andreescu and Bouchard are two of three Canadians who have earned a wildcard to the Rogers Cup. The other is Francoise Abanda of Montreal, Quebec.
Two players have withdrawn from the 2017 Rogers Cup because of injuries. They are Krystina Pliskova of the Czech Republic (thumb injury) and 2011 U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur of Australia (stress fracture in her right hand). They have been replaced by Julia Gorges of Germany and Alison Riske of the United States. Pliskova’s injury is bizarre. She suffered the injury while trying to fix a fan on the court during a match in China in late July according to Stephanie Myles of Tennis Life.