Bianca Andreescu Battles Past Elise Mertens To Reach Her Maiden Grand Slam Semifinals at US Open 2019

The 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu reached her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at Flushing Meadows. She defeated Elise Mertens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in her maiden quarterfinal appearance at major and sailed into the last four round of the US Open 2019.

She will meet Belinda Bencic from Switzerland in the semifinals of the New York major. Andreescu becomes the first Canadian woman to advance to the US Open semifinals since 1984. 

At the beginning of the match, Andreescu made a shaky start and Mertens held a 3-1 lead in the opening set, as the Canadian Andreescu placed the volley into the net. Until 4-2, the Belgian, Mertens had won 14 of the last 17 points and had no room for error. Later, Mertens wrapped up the opening set in 38 minutes by holding her serve to love and she was just a set away from the semifinal spot of the US major.

In the second set, it was World Number 15, Bianca Andreescu driving the set since the very beginning. Elise Mertens played erroneous tennis on her opening service game and consequently, the Canadian teenager could lead by 2-0 in the second set.

Andreescu blazed out winners to maintain her lead and the 15th seed tennis player broke Mertens to love with a cross-court forehand winner at 5-2 and that shot seemed impossible to defend. Later, she served out the set with a perfect forehand winner at 6-2. 

Both the ladies exhibiting a good level of tennis in the deciding set. At 4-3, Mertens placed a forehand beyond the baseline followed by Andreescu’s down the line backhand return winner gave her a chance to serve for the match at 5-3.

The highest-ranked teenager on the WTA track, Bianca Andreescu swiftly booked a place for herself in the semifinals of the US Open 2019 as she served out the match 6-3 in the last set. 

Semifinal line up:

“A year ago I was in the (US Open) qualifying round. I remember I was suffering from a back injury. Now what I’ve accomplished this year, I’m honestly speechless. I need someone to pinch me right now. Is this real life,” Bianca Andreescu said after her scintillating victory.

“I think it’s just the experience from playing these huge tournaments in the past year. I played in front of a huge crowd at Australia and Indian Wells and Toronto and I think all that experience is catching up,” she added.