Mississauga tennis star on a roll at National Bank Open in Toronto

Just over a week ago, it wasn’t a certainty that Bianca Andreescu would even be playing in the National Bank Open tennis tournament being contested this week at York University in Toronto.

But the 22-year-old Mississauga native, who was experiencing lower back issues during a tournament in San Jose last week, not only confirmed her entry as defending National Bank Open champion, she has chalked up two impressive victories en route to tonight’s (Aug. 11) round of 16 match.

Andreescu, ranked No. 53 on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) circuit, bested France’s Alize Cornet (WTA No. 40) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in action last night (Aug. 10).

On Tuesday evening, the Ontario Racquet Club (Mississauga) product opened the tournament with a 7-6, 6-4 straight-set victory over WTA No. 9 Daria Kasatkina, of Russia.

Next up for Andreescu is a match tonight (Aug. 11) with China’s Qinwen Zheng (WTA No. 51) in round of 16 action. It’s scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

The Mississauga tennis star is looking to defend her title on home turf. She won the National Bank Open in 2019, the last time it was staged. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the tourney the last two years.

Andreescu continues to experience ups and downs as she tries to make her way back to the upper ranks of the WTA circuit.

She burst onto the international scene in 2019 with a stunning win at the US Open in New York. However, she hasn’t won a tournament since then as she’s battled through a series of injuries and took a mental health break in 2021.

Andreescu’s rollercoaster comeback journey took a bit of a dip at the prestigious Wimbledon tournament in London earlier this summer. She was eliminated from the major event in the second round, falling 6-4, 7-6 to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (WTA No. 23).

The National Bank Open concludes on Sunday.

Let's gooooo!!!!💪🇨🇦💪🇨🇦 https://t.co/p9FFZ59M7N

— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) August 10, 2022