Toronto (Canada) August 11 : Canada’s Bianca Andreescu registered a 6-3 7-6, 6-3 victory against France’s Alize Cornet in 2 hours and 26 minutes, making it to the round of 16 of the National Bank Open, here.It was the first time Andreescu has won against Cornet who had frightened her a lot in the past.
Following her victory in the match on Wednesday night Andreescu is now a winner of eight matches in consecutive matches at the tournament when it is played in Toronto which is the closest large city to her home town.
“I think it was the competitive spirit of each of us.She’s very steady and I had to persevere, particularly in the tough times.I think I performed these crucial moments better this time around,” Andreescu reflected on the game.
“I believe that especially in these competitive matches these are the crucial moments that you must have to have under your belt.When you’ve got them, it will give you lots of confidence.I’m hoping I can keep that up for the remainder of the competition,” she added.
Cornet was beaten by Andreescu in straight sets in their previous encounters that both took place in the grass court season of last year at Berlin as well as in the opening round of Wimbledon.
This was the third winning combination for Andreescu as she finally won her first win over Cornet.
Andreescu hasn’t won back-to-back matches on hard courts in more than an entire year, with her last consecutive victories on the surface coming in the 2021 US Open.
But the former US Open champion backed up her Top 10 win over Daria Kasatkina in the first round by putting 27 winners over Cornet.
The 22-year-old Canadian scored a match-up of 27 unforced mistakes in the match as well.
But Cornet concluded the game with less clear numbers as the Canadian, with 21 winners and 30 unforced errors.
Andreescu will now take on the Chinese player Zheng Qinwen, who beat Ons Jabeur.It’s the first encounter between Zheng and Andreescu.
A rising Chinese 19-year-old Qinwen was ahead of No.5 seed Jabeur 6-1, 2-1, when Jabeur was forced to withdraw from their second-round match because of abdominal discomfort.Zheng has now scored two match-wins on hard courts in two consecutive matches at the tour level for the first time since Jan.She has also clinched her first Top 10 win of her career with the victory over Jabeur via retirement.
World No 51 Zheng is in the in the midst of her breakout season in which she began at No.143.She was the sole player to win the title from the eventual champion Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros.
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