Andreescu leaves court in wheelchair, Sabalenka surges in Miami

29 March, 2023

INDIAN WELLS       -      Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu left the court in a wheelchair at the Miami Open after sustaining a lower left leg injury that forced her to retire from her last 16 meeting with Ekaterina Alexandrova. After the opening set was hit by a twohour rain delay, Canadian Andreescu went down while moving across the baseline during the third game of the second set, grabbing her ankle and screaming in pain.

Andreescu was in tears as the broadcast picked up the 2019 Flushing Meadows champion screaming: “I’ve never felt this kind of pain before”, when the medical staff arrived to treat her. She was eventually helped to her feet and shared a hug with Russian Alexandrova before leaving Hard Rock Stadium in a wheelchair to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Alexandrova advanced 7-6(0) 0-2 (ret.) and will next face Petra Kvitova, who defeated Varvara Gracheva 7-5 7-6(5). Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka needed just over an hour to beat former French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 6-2, while Elena Rybakina beat Elise Mertens 6-4 6-3. Earlier, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 6-3 4-6 6-4 to set up a meeting with Russian 14th seed Karen Khachanov, who won 6-2 6-4 against Czech Jiri Lehecka. Argentine Francisco Cerundolo stunned fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2 7-5, while Frenchman Adrian Mannarino knocked out eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(5) 7-6(0) and American Frances Tiafoe lost 6-3 6-4 to Lorenzo Sonego.

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