MELBOURNE, Australia | Earlier this week, Bianca Andreescu’s new coach, Frenchman Christophe Lambert, highlighted how well his charge has managed his emotions after losing in Adelaide in early January.
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A second-round match in which the 22-year-old Canadian led 4-0 ahead of Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova before losing…12 games in a row.
“There was a time when she would have locked herself in her room all night,” he rejoiced. But this time I went to her the same evening, sat down on the sofa and was able to talk to her.
Andreescu admits: she didn’t cope well with Wednesday’s defeat in the second round of the Australian Open.
The world 45th led a round to clean ahead of qualified Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, 100th on the WTA chessboard. She got a match point in the tiebreak of the second set, where she completely screwed up her smash before eventually losing 2-6 7-6(7) 6-4 in 2h 51m.
“I cried for almost an hour after the game,” Andreescu said at a press conference. I used to be emotional, but [mercredi]it was worse.”
“I had watched the meeting between Matteo [Berrettini] and Andi [Murray] the day before, where Matteo had a match point [l’Italien a perdu en cinq manches], and I was so disappointed in him. And then the same thing happened to me! Tennis is a crazy sport…»
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She dreamed of Swiatek
The Ontarian had managed to find a smile when she met the journalists. But the disappointment remained. She dreamed of a duel in the third round against world No. 1, Pole Iga Swiatek.
Andreescu also regretted that other “roller coaster game,” a heavy trend in his young career. Especially after she presented very consistent tennis in the opening round against 25th-seeded Czech Marie Bouzkova.
“I want to earn more again. It is my goal. I want to find my form, my confidence, because I know I have it in me, pleaded the old Fourth World.
“It is ridiculous”
This third day of activity was something special for the players who competed in Melbourne. The schedule was released very late on Tuesday due to the heat and rain that postponed several games.
The Canadian said she went to bed not even knowing when she was going to play. It was her coach who woke her up at 7:30 a.m. to tell her that she would be on the field at 11 a.m.
“No idea why [les organisateurs] waited so long, it’s ridiculous,” said Andreescu.
However, since her match was at the Kia Arena, a pitch without a retractable roof, she ended up starting her match in the early evening as it rained again for much of the day on Wednesday.
“It was difficult, especially on such a cold day [il faisait environ 18 degrés]. I had to warm up a few times for fear of injury. Interruptions during the game were also difficult to deal with. But I console myself by telling myself that I wasn’t the only one in this situation.
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