Bianca Andreescu made a successful comeback for Canada against Kazakhstan, securing a victory in her singles match during the first day of a two-day Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Astana. The native of Mississauga, Ontario, triumphed over Sonja Zhiyenbayeva with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (4), earning Canada’s sole point on Friday. This marked Andreescu’s return to Billie Jean King Cup action after not participating since 2022 due to various injuries.
The 2019 U.S. Open champion displayed a remarkable performance by overcoming a 0-4 deficit in the second-set tiebreak, winning seven consecutive points to seal the match against Zhiyenbayeva, who is ranked 1,023rd in the world. Despite facing a challenging opponent, Andreescu, currently ranked 130th, emphasized the importance of consistency and adapting to the competitive environment. She acknowledged the support for Kazakhstan from the crowd but expressed satisfaction with her level of play and the victory achieved.
In an earlier match, world No. 74 Yulia Putintseva defeated Kayla Cross from London, Ontario, with a score of 6-3, 7-5, giving Kazakhstan an initial advantage. Cross, ranked 198th, displayed resilience by fighting back from a 5-1 deficit in the second set, saving multiple match points before ultimately falling short. The closely contested tie stands at 1-1 going into the next day’s matches, with the victor earning a spot in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen, China.
Switching to a different tennis event, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime exited the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters after a 6-3, 6-4 defeat to second seed Jannik Sinner. Auger-Aliassime, seeded sixth, faced challenges in crucial moments, getting broken once in each set during the 92-minute clay-court encounter. His struggles on second-serve points, winning only 47% compared to Sinner’s 71%, contributed to the outcome. Sinner’s victory extended his impressive ATP Masters 1000 winning streak to 20 matches, a feat matched only by tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Sinner is set to clash with third-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semifinals scheduled for Saturday.