She the North

Food, recipes, fashion, sport, education, exercise, sexuality, travel.
Post Reply
User avatar
Scooter
Posts: 16540
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 6:04 pm
Location: Toronto, ON

She the North

Post by Scooter »

Bianca Andreescu wins U.S. Open, becomes 1st Canadian to claim a Grand Slam title

Bianca Andreescu is the U.S. Open champion.

The Mississauga, Ont., native downed tennis great Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday to become the first Canadian to ever win a Grand Slam singles title.

After pumping her fists and congratulating Williams on a well-played match, Andreescu lay on the court, covering her face as she processed the win.

She then stood and made a heart shape with her hands before climbing a ladder to get into the stands and hug her parents.

The final was a rematch of last month's Rogers Cup women's championship in Toronto, which Andreescu won when Williams retired down 3-1 in the first set.

That match lasted less than 20 minutes and gave Andreescu her second WTA victory of the season.

Andreescu approached a tearful Williams on the sideline that day in Toronto in a touching moment that led the American superstar to dub the young Canadian a "great sportswoman."

On Saturday, Andreescu won the first set when Williams double faulted with the young Canadian holding advantage.

Andreescu quietly pumped her fist and marched to her bench during the break, exuding confidence as she faced one of the best tennis players of all time.

She put the match away and made Canadian tennis history on championship point when her forehand return eluded Williams.

Andreescu has been one of the best Canadian sports stories of the year. She's garnered praise from the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash, and Kia Nurse. Even Billie Jean King, whose name adorns the tennis centre where the U.S. Open is played, has tweeted about Andreescu multiple times.

Andreescu was coming into Saturday's final hot, but also tired.

She looked sluggish for parts of her 7-6, 7-5 semifinal victory against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic on Thursday night, but dug in and found another gear in the second set to rally back from deficits of 4-1 and 5-2.

Williams, on the other hand, looked otherworldly throughout the tournament, carving up opponents starting with Maria Sharapova in the first round. She also notched the quickest victory of the tournament, a 44-minute one-sided quarterfinal win over China's Wang Qiang.

Meaghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, was in Williams' player's box next to her coach. Other notable celebrities in attendance were film director Spike Lee, tennis great John McEnroe and Williams's sister Venus.

Andreescu defeated Taylor Townsend, Caroline Wozniacki, Kirsten Flipkens, and Katie Volynets on her way to the final.
She was ranked something like 153rd at the start of the season, and went on to win one of the Grand Slam titles.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu."

-- Author unknown

User avatar
Lord Jim
Posts: 29716
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2010 12:44 pm
Location: TCTUTKHBDTMDITSAF

Re: She the North

Post by Lord Jim »

Congrats to our Canadian cousin...

Well played...
ImageImageImage

User avatar
RayThom
Posts: 8604
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:38 pm
Location: Longwood Gardens PA 19348

She the North

Post by RayThom »

Proving once again the U.S. Open is color blind.
Image
“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.” 

ex-khobar Andy
Posts: 5418
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 4:16 am
Location: Louisville KY as of July 2018

Re: She the North

Post by ex-khobar Andy »

No fluke BTW. I watched it; I knew what Andreescu was capable of but Williams had been in pretty good form throughout the tournament. She put away players such as Sharapova very quickly and with no indication that she had any weakness. Andreescu at times during the tournament looked a bit slow. But yesterday it was clear early on that she had come to play and she broke Williams in the first game. After that I didn't have any doubt that she would win; even when she wobbled a bit in the second set and lost four in a row from being 5-1 up. I think it's possible that with Andreescu and Osaka women's tennis has another Navratilova/Evert rivalry.

I enjoy tennis but it makes me feel old. I remember Billie Jean Moffit.

User avatar
Long Run
Posts: 6717
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:47 pm

Re: She the North

Post by Long Run »

ex-khobar Andy wrote:
I enjoy tennis but it makes me feel old. I remember Billie Jean Moffit.
:ok :ok

Congrats to the winner. The sport needs fresh faces. Hard to imagine the drop off in interest on the men's side when Federer decides to finish his scrap book.

User avatar
Scooter
Posts: 16540
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 6:04 pm
Location: Toronto, ON

Re: She the North

Post by Scooter »

The most Canadian way to accept a trophy? Bianca Andreescu says 'sorry'

Bianca Andreescu is Canadian through and through.

The new Grand Slam winner accepted her win with grace, poise and -- an apology?

Twitter is going wild over the 19-year-old not just for her stunning upset of tennis icon Serena Williams, but because she proved a long-lived Canadian stereotype.

In an interview after the win, Andreescu was asked about the second half of the match, when Serena seemed poised to make a comeback. She was asked what her biggest obstacle to overcome in that moment was.

Andreescu pondered the question. Then, a smile.

“Definitely the crowd,” she said, laughing sheepishly. As the audience of over 20,000 Americans roared, she turned away from the interviewer to send her words out to them, her hands held up beseechingly.

“I know you guys wanted Serena to win, so I’m so sorry!”

The moment is being retweeted again and again by proud Canadians and amused (and occasionally confused) Americans.

“Bianca said sorry," said Twitter user @leahflame. “Let's all drink some maple syrup and ride a polar bear or a moose!”

Another Twitter user called it “The most Canadian part of the tennis match.”

Andreescu took the victory over Serena Williams in two sets this Saturday, becoming the first Canadian singles player to win a Grand Slam title.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu."

-- Author unknown

ex-khobar Andy
Posts: 5418
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 4:16 am
Location: Louisville KY as of July 2018

Re: She the North

Post by ex-khobar Andy »

Of course there is another Canadian tennis player ranked very highly. If it's round and yellow he's pretty good; long and bendy and yellow, not so hot.


Post Reply