Bianca Andreescu avenged her loss to Elena Rybakina two weeks ago in Madrid, upsetting the world No. 12 in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in straight sets on Sunday in Rome. It is Andreescu’s first victory over the former Wimbledon champion in four meetings.
Leylah Annie Fernandez was not so lucky. Her campaign in the Italian capital came to an end on Sunday morning at the hands of Marta Kostyuk in straight sets.
Two weeks removed from her comprehensive defeat in Spain, Andreescu turned the tables on Rybakina in Rome. The Canadian picked apart her opponent’s powerful serve and defended her own brilliantly, scoring a 6-2, 6-4 win.
Normally, Rybakina is the player who dominates on serve but on this day, it was Andreescu. The Canadian saved all five break points she faced, while putting an outrageous 87 per cent of her first serves in play. She also had a read on the Kazakhstani’s big delivery, winning 47 per cent of Rybakina’s service points, breaking three times.
Andreescu got off to a dream start, breaking the world No. 12 in the opening game of the match when the Kazakhstani sent a backhand long. Rybakina had a chance to get back on serve in the fourth game but the Canadian saved a break point and responded brilliantly by scoring her second break of the set in the next game to go up 4-1.
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That was more than enough cushion for the former US Open champion, who took the opening frame in exactly 30 minutes.
The Canadian kept her foot on the gas to start the second, once again breaking in the opening game courtesy of a couple of forehand misses from Rybakina. A quick hold gave her a 2-0 lead, but the rest of the set proved to be a much greater challenge.
After missing a chance to go up a double break in the third game, Andreescu faced her biggest test yet on serve. She had to battle through a marathon game that featured six deuces and a pair of break points for Rybakina. The Canadian managed to save both and escaped the game for a 3-1 lead.
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Rybakina again denied Andreescu a double break in her next service game and had two more chances to get back on serve in the sixth game but still the Canadian held the line. That was the last gasp for the world No. 12 as Andreescu managed to hold her final two service games with relative ease, completing the upset by drawing a forehand long on her first match point.
In the fourth round, Andreescu awaits the winner between Magdalena Frech and Qinwen Zheng.
Fernandez Falters Against Kostyuk
Earlier in the day, Leylah Annie Fernandez’s run in Rome was halted by Marta Kostyuk. The Ukrainian needed 94 minutes to put away the 24th-seeded Canadian in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
Inconsistency on serve was a problem for Fernandez, as she put just 55 per cent of her first serves in play and only won 38 per cent of her second-serve points. She was broken four times on eight opportunities, while creating just three break points on Kostyuk’s serve, of which she converted only one.
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Fernandez spent most of the day playing catch-up as she was broken early in both sets. She actually had the first chance to break in the second game of the first set but Kostyuk saved it and responded by converting her first opportunity in the following game.
The Canadian did manage to get back on serve, using her impressive net play to break in the sixth game to level the set at 3-3. However, she faltered late, getting broken in the ninth game to give Kostyuk a chance to serve for the set. Fernandez made her opponent’s life difficult in the 10th game, saving the first three sets points the Ukrainian had but the 24th seed never managed to create a break point and Kostyuk closed it out on her fourth opportunity with a looping forehand winner.
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A lull midway through the second set cost Fernandez any chance of mounting a comeback. The Canadian opened the set with a hold before Kostyuk reeled off five games in a row, breaking twice to put herself with a game of victory.
The Ukrainian was untouchable on serve in the second, never giving Fernandez a chance to get back in it. Kostyuk lost just four points on her own delivery and closed out the match with a hold to love.
Fernandez is playing her second-round doubles match as well on Sunday with Yulia Putintseva. Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are also still alive in the women’s doubles.
Feature Photo : Tennis Channel
