Injured Andreescu eliminated at WTA Finals after retiring against Pliskova
Posted October 30, 2019 10:47 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SHENZHEN, China – Canada’s Bianca Andreescu was eliminated from the WTA Finals on Wednesday after retiring from her match against Karolina Pliskova with a left knee injury.
Andreescu was leading 2-0 in the first set, with Pliskova serving at 30-15 in the third game, when she came up limping after returning a serve and took a medical timeout.
She had her knee taped and she played through the first set, even challenging Pliskova’s serve with three break-point opportunities in the fifth game, but clearly struggled with her movement and retired after losing the set 6-3. Pliskova won on an ace that Andreescu didn’t move to return.
Andreescu called for coach Sylvain Bruneau after going down 3-2 and told him she was having trouble bending her knee. He told her not to push it. A visibly upset Andreescu said: “I don’t want to stop.”
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is now 0-2 at the season-ending, US$14-million event and can’t advance to the semifinals.
Pliskova will advance and play Simona Halep for a semifinal spot. Halep defeated Andreescu in their opening match on Monday.
