NEW YORK • Bianca Andreescu cannot stop making history.
On the incredible stage of the U.S Open women’s singles final, the 19-year-old from the Toronto suburbs took down the most daunting opponent in the sport, pulling off a remarkable straight-sets win (6-3, 7-5) that makes her the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title.
When the performance was over, when Andreescu had survived a furious rally from her legendary opponent after she held a 5-1 lead in the second set, with Arthur Ashe Stadium roaring and shaking in favour of her American opponent, the Canadian dropped her racquet in disbelief. After a quick hug, she collapsed on her back in the middle of the court. It had been a brave, fearless display of tennis, with Andreescu repeatedly blasting balls deep into the court, forcing the most powerful player in women’s tennis to play defence. Williams had lost only three services games in six matches at the U.S. Open. Andreescu broke her serve six times on Saturday.
“This year has been a dream come true,” Andreescu said at the trophy ceremony. Asked what she had overcome on Saturday, she said, “definitely the crowd.” Then she offered a most Canadian response: “I know you guys wanted Serena to win,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
Handed the trophy, she could be heard asking which side was the front. It was yet another sign how new all this is to her.
She would say afterward that, when the crowd was roaring and Williams seemed on the verge of making a miraculous comeback, she “had some doubts.”
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