By Canadian Press

Canada’s Bianca Andreescu advances to Miami quarterfinals after rallying for win

Mar 29, 2021 | 10:07 PM

MIAMI — Canada’s Bianca Andreescu is heading to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open after a come-from-behind victory against an in-form opponent.

With her mom, dad and dog Coco watching from her box, the eighth-seeded Andreescu rallied to knock off the 12th-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the WTA Tour 1000 event on Monday night.

It is Andreescu’s third tournament back after a 16-plus-month absence.

Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., broke the former world No. 1 in the first game of the third set and rolled from there, beating a player who already has a title and two runner-up showings this year.

The Canadian, who saved six of eight break points, will face unseeded Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

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Andreescu broke the hard-hitting Muguruza twice in the second set after not having one break-point opportunity against her aggressive opponent in the first.

The second break, putting Andreescu up 5-3, came immediately after Muguruza got back on serve with her own break. A volley by the Canadian touched the tape and went over before an unforced error by Muguruza finished the game, prompting a trademark “Come on” from Andreescu.

Muguruza notched the only break of the first set to take a 5-3 lead and then recorded four straight points on serve to take the opener.

The 27-year-old Muguruza captured the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon titles.

Andreescu notched a 6-1, 6-0 win in their only other meeting in 2019 at Indian Wells, Calif. That quarterfinal win helped send the Canadian to her first career WTA Tour title.

Andreescu returned from her 16-plus-month layoff following a knee injury in February at the Australian Open, losing in the second round of the Grand Slam.

The 20-year-old Canadian followed that up by reaching the semifinals of an event in Melbourne for players eliminated early from the Australian Open, but a leg injury suffered there kept her out until Miami.

Andreescu is trying to recapture the form of her breakthrough 2019 season when she won three tournaments, including the U.S. Open.

Earlier Monday, Canada’s Milos Raonic advanced to the men’s round of 16.

The 12th-seeded Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., reached the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 event for the fifth time in 10 appearances with a 6-4, 7-5 win over No. 20 seed Ugo Humbert of France.

A potential all-Canadian fourth-round matchup between Raonic and sixth-seed Denis Shapovalov was dashed when Shapovalov was upset 6-3, 7-6 (6) by No. 26 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland later Monday.

Raonic converted his first match-point chance to win the contest in one hour 39 minutes.

The hard-serving Canadian had 12 aces to Humbert’s nine, and won 77 per cent of his first-serve points.

Raonic saved all three break points he faced, while breaking Humbert twice in five opportunities.

Raonic is now 2-0 against Humbert after winning a third-set tiebreak last year in Paris.

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., struggled to make the most of his chances against Hurkacz, who saved all three break points he faced. Hurkacz had just one break-point opportunity, but cashed in on it to take a 5-3 lead en route to taking the first set.

Shapovalov is now 1-3 against Hurkacz. 

Raonic will face the Pole for the first time in their fourth-round contest on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2021.

The Canadian Press