UNPREDICTABLE Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko showed the best and worst of her game in a three-set win over local hope Bianca Andreescu in Toronto’s National Bank Open. The world number 85 – who has the most match retirements or walkovers on Tour with 20 in the past three years – looked in danger early after losing the first seven games of the match. However, she quickly found her rhythm and overcame the Canadian wildcard to win, 0-6 6-3 6-4.

Tsurenko is currently ranked 85th in the world and had a 2-0 head-to-head record against the 2019 National Bank Open winner. In a homecoming of sorts for Andreescu who has had more than her fair share of bad luck through injury the last few seasons, the Canadian looked on track to roll through her opening round match.

In the first set, Andreescu serve three aces, won 12 of her 15 points on serve, did not face a break point and broke Tsurenko in all three games. In fact, Tsurenko only won six points for the entire set with Andreescu quickly racing to the lead. Also winning the first game of the second set, it looked like the result was fate accompli, but then Tsurenko stepped up to the plate.

She won 65 and 50 per cent of her first and second serve points, broke three times to two and was able to win 29 more points in teh set, including a high 59 per cent on return. Andreescu’s level did drop off, but Tsurenko got back to her best to send the set to a decider.

Tsurenko kept up her dominant first serve success rate, winning 12 of 15 points, and though she struggled off her second serve (just two of 12 including four double faults), Andreescu could not seem to capitalise off her first serve any more (50 per cent). Instead, the Urkanian was able to break a crucial third tiime to seal the match and an incredible comeback in and hour and 59 minutes.

The former top 30 player – who has four titles to her name – will take on number 10 seed Anna Kalinskaya in the Round of 32 after the Russian ousted American qualifier Louisa Chirico, 6-2 6-3.

AROUND THE COURTS

All four Ukrainians were out on court on day one with a mixed bag of results. Past National Bank Open champion Elina Svitolina made light work of American Shelby Rogers 6-0 6-2 in 70 minutes, while Marta Kostyuk went one better in locking the same result but under an hour’s work. The news was not as positive for Dayana Yastremska who retired while down 6-3 3-1 to American lucky loser Taylor Townsend in 58 minutes.

A trio of qualifiers did reach the second round with Yafan Wang upsetting Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima taking down Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, and Belgian Greet Minnen far too good for 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens. Among the other winners were Karolina Pliskova, Victoria Azarenka and Magdalena Frech.