Bianca Andreescu gave everything to keep Team Canada alive in their Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers tie against Team Kazakhstan, but the Canadian’s comeback fell just short in a true battle between the teams’ No. 1s on Saturday.
Andreescu didn’t disappoint in her Team Canada return on Friday, and she had a lot to be proud of despite the 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(4) loss to Yulia Putintseva on the final day.
The match was 20 minutes short of four hours and featured a total of 21 break points, 14 which were held by Andreescu. A resilient Putintseva managed to save nine and broke on four of her seven opportunities, eventually clinching Kazakhstan’s berth into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the second-consecutive year.
With the pressure of the tie’s fate on her shoulders, Andreescu came out strong in her bid to silence the home crowd early. On return at 1-1, 30-love, Andreescu won eight points on the bounce to lead 3-1. From there, the Mississaugan didn’t face more than deuce on her delivery on her way to break and set point at 3-5, 30-40, but a cool Putintseva managed to keep the opener alive.
The Kazakhstani saved her push for the vital part of the set, with the Canadian serving for the opener in the ensuing game. At 5-4, 15-love, Putintseva strung together eight-straight points on this occasion, leading 6-5 before Andreescu forced a tiebreaker.
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Putintseva serving first ended up being crucial for the Kazakhstani. The world No. 74 won the opening point on her delivery, and there would not be another point won on serve until Putintseva held set point at 6-5. The 31-year-old served out the opener to put her nation one-set away from a Finals berth.
However, Putintseva ran into an inspired Andreescu in the second. The Canadian didn’t do much wrong, starting from her serve where she won her first eight service points of the set.
Then came Andreescu’s return game. The former US Open champion began to pile the pressure, breaking at 2-3 on her third break point of the game. The Canuck was broken back, but that bump didn’t deter her as she scored a second-straight break to give her the chance to serve for the set once again at 5-3. This time, Andreescu made the opportunity count, delivering an unreturned serve at 40-15 to send the match into a decider.
The start of the third was a testament to the battle both players put on for their country. Andreescu broke for a third-consecutive time in the first game, but Putintseva pushed for a break back. The ensuing game last nearly 20 minutes until the Kazakhstani forced the loss of serve after the eighth deuce.
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Andreescu was again up a break at 4-3 but was unable to couple it with a hold once more as the marathon match was destined for a third-set tiebreaker.
Putintseva earned the all-important mini-break to lead 2-0; however, Andreescu stayed on the Kazakhstani’s heels. The Canadian won two points on return but, on each occasion, she failed to consolidate the mini-break with a win on her serve. At 4-6, Andreescu succumbed to the pressure with a double fault, sending Kazakhstan to the Finals.
Andreescu, Cross Lose in Doubles Play
Team Canada trailed once again to begin Day 2 of their Qualifiers tie as Kayla Cross and Bianca Andreescu lost in straight sets to Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva on Saturday.
The Canadians were up an early break but struggled on their own delivery for most of the match. Andreescu and Cross held just four times in their nine service games, going through the entire second set without a hold as the Kazakhstanis cruised to the 7-5, 6-1 win and 2-1 lead in the tie.
Andreescu and Cross had the quick edge in the opening set. The Ontarians just needed two rallies to settle into the match before the duo won eight points on the fly from 30-love in the opening game to take the 2-0 advantage.
However, Danilina and Kulambayeva didn’t take long to respond as the home crowd began to rally behind the Kazakhstani team. The host nation broke in the fourth game and fended off a break-back opportunity in the next to go slightly in front, 3-2.
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Andreescu and Cross were always on the fringe of going up a break again in the set, leading love-30 in back-to-back games midway through the opener, but some fearless net play from Danilina and Kulambeyeva dug them out of those holes. That later paid off as the Kazakhstanis held break point at 5-6, 30-40, where Danilina was able to come to the net and put away the overhead, met by the roar of the Kazakhstani faithful as their nation took the opening set.
Danilina and Kulambeyeva carried that momentum into the second, extending their consecutive breaks to four to lead 5-1. That lead did not come easy though, as the Kazakhstanis faced three break points in the set, losing serve once in the fifth game.
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With triple match point at 5-1, 40-love, the home team needed all three attempts to wrap up the contest and put Kazakhstan in the driver’s seat heading into Saturday’s first singles match.
Feature Photo: Sarah-Jade Champagne
