Bianca Andreescu continued her brilliant run on hard-court surfaces this year with a gruelling, three-set win over Elise Merten to make it to the 2019 US Open semi-finals.
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In doing so Canada’s Andreescu became the first teen since Caroline Wozniacki to enter the US Open last-four stage. Wozniacki had gone on to play the 2009 US Open final but lost to Kim Clijsters in the title-decider.
The 15th-seeded player from Toronto overcame the loss of the first set to move past Belgium’s Mertens, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a semi-final match-up with Belinda Bencic. Interestingly, both Bencic and Andreescu will be featuring for the first time in a Grand Slam semi-final.
Believe it, Bianca
The 19-year old ?? becomes the first teenager to reach the US Open SFs since 2009.@Bandreescu_ | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/RZ4pgCF2vO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2019
Andreescu has already exhibited brilliant form this year with title wins at the Indian Wells Open and the Rogers Cup and she admitted those results had helped her immensely in this victory over Mertens.
Speaking at the post-match interview, the Canadian said:
“I think it’s just the experience from playing these huge events this past year. All that experience is just catching up.”
The last time a teenager won a Grand Slam title was way back in 2006 when Maria Sharapova clinched the US Open victory in 2006.
What this win does is to put the Canadian on a 11-match winning streak that includes the title victory at the Rogers Cup. With 40 winners and 33 unforced errors in her kitty, Andreescu broke Mertens four times in the match, and was broken twice in return, and was aided by the 27 unforced errors her Belgian opponent made in the match.
The Bencic-Andreescu semi-final will be played on Friday afternoon at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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