Bianca Andreescu Advances to the Third Round at US Open

Bianca Andreescu went into her second round match against Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens on Thursday on a mission, and by the end, it wasn’t just the crowds who thought she has a chance to win the U.S. Open. Flipkens, a veteran of the WTA tour mentioned before the start of their match that Andreescu has the skills and drive needed to make it to the finals, and she shared that with the Canadian after her a 6-3, 7-5 win over the Belgian. Commenting, Flipkens said,

“I told her that it was a good match and that I think she can win this tournament, so she should believe in her abilities. It’s clear. If you win Indian Wells and Toronto, you’re a favourite. They’re tournaments with almost the same status as a Grand Slam.”

Andreescu was in the zone Thursday playing far better than she did in her first round match against American Katie Volynets. The timing could not have better as she needed to remain in control against the constant game style of Kirsten Flipkens. Generally, it is Andreescu doing that, today that table was turned. However, with bookmakers such as Spin Sports putting their support behind Andreescu, predictions are she will continue outplaying her oppenents and advance Speaking on Flipkens and her playing style, Andreescu said,

“Flipkens is a tricky opponent to play. I’m just really happy with how I managed to deal with what she gave me and with my composure out there. There aren’t many girls out there that like to come to the net as much as she does, so I tried my best to handle that as best as I could. I think I did a really good job with that today.”

US Open Tennis Championships

Generally, Flipkens is not one to give props to those she is about to face, but as a seasoned veteran on the tour, she knows talent when she sees it. Flipkens has been surprised in the past, one of those was Ashleigh Barty, who upon returning after a leave from tennis defeated Flipkens in two sets allowing her to win only one game in the two set loss. Commenting in a Twitter post after learning Barty won the French Open, Flipkens said,

“I knew I was not just losing to a qualifier. I knew this kid had something special. After that match, I said, this kiddo will be top 10 in less than a year if this is her usual level.'”

After the match during her press conference, Andreescu was asked about jumping into ninth in the world rankings. At the moment, she is ranked 15th, but without any defendable ranking points, there is the chance with a positive showing at the U.S. Open that she could surge into the top 10 based on live rankings, which report where a player is at any given moment. Replying to the question, Andreescu said,

“You’re kidding me. Really? Close? Wow, no, I don’t really – OK. Give me a sec. No, I don’t usually check these things. I like to just focus on my game, but that’s – wow. That’s all I can say right now.”

However, there are several women who, unless she continues to win and advance, that could overtake her position. One is Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, who currently sits in 19th but was a former no. 1. She will face off against Danielle Collins from America on Thursday, and the winner of that match will play Andreescu on Saturday in the third round. Speaking on the possibility of playing Wozniacki in the third round, Andreescu stated,

“I would say that was kind of like my breakthrough tournament, match, too because she was the first-ever player I beat who was in the top 10 before.”