In a wild-card match between two come-back kids, Bianca Andreescu battled past Naomi Osaka into the semi-finals at the Libéma Open on Friday, where she will meet Dalma Galfi, while 2nd-seeded Liudmilla Samsonova also advanced but awaits the winner of the match between defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova and Robin Montgomery on Saturday.
I never give up. I ran a lot today. More than her for sure. I really wanted it. I really wanted it today and, I think, that made the big difference. Bianca Andreescu
In just her second tournament of the year, 2019 US Open champion Andreescu beat former World No 1 Osaka, 6-4 3-6 7-6(3), to make her first Last 4 appearance since 2023 Hua Hin, and her first on a grass court since 2022 Bad Homburg.
“These are the reason we play this sport,” Andreescu said. “Winning against players like this, at least for me, it really shows me where my level is at.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself because every day is different. I just want to take it in and use it to my advantage.”
The Canadian, who missed nearly 10 months with a back injury, held on for the win after missing her first chance to close out Osaka, the 2018 US Open champion, when serving for the match up 5-3 in the third set.
An Osaka break and hold tied the set at 5-5, then they exchanged holds to set up the deciding tiebreak.
Both are looking to rejoin the WTA’s elite, and both have been absent from the tour for some time
Andreescu entered the Libéma Open ranked 228, while 4-time Grand Slam winner Osaka is at No 125 after taking 2023 off to give birth to her daughter, and to focus on her mental health.
They both rolled through their opening service games until a brief rain delay stopped play with Andreescu serving, down 2-3.
The Canadian needed just one point to hold when the action resumed, and then broke the Japanese with an incredible volley winner that ricocheted off the throat of her racket.
Andreescu swept away Osaka’s sole break-point opportunity, and held to close out the set.
She struck 6 winners to just 5 unforced errors in the opening frame, while holding the more aggressive Osaka to 6 winners, while she also won 94% of her first serve points, 15 of 16.
Osaka responded immediately, jumping on Andreescu’s second serve and amping up her own aggression to build a 5-0 lead, before sealing the set 4 games later.
Her cross-court forehand proved particularly effective as the match wore on, and, after being held to just 6 winners in the first set, Osaka struck 11 in the second.
“That’s expected from Naomi,” Andreescu said. “Sometimes she’ll play unbelievable games, and then sometimes not so well. So the key for me was to stay as consistent as possible.
“My return today, the goal was to just bunt it back, and then take control of the second serve.”
Naomi Osaka made a come-back in the 3rd set but fell in the deciding breaker to Bianca Andreescu at Den Bosch
Libéma Open/Facebook
Into a third set for their second straight meeting, Andreescu capitalised first by breaking Osaka for a 4-2 lead, which she extended to 5-2, before Osaka mounted her come-back.
With the Canadian looking to serve out the win at 5-3, Osaka took advantage of her second-serve chances and broke on a backhand error from Andreescu.
“At 5-2, I might have let up a little bit on my serve,” Andreescu said. “I was saying to myself ‘Go for it’ but the other side of myself said ‘Calm down’. So I got a bit conflicted with that.
“But really could have gone either way. It was two points difference maybe, in the whole match.”
In the deciding breaker, Osaka had a backhand put-away for a 4-2 lead, but netted the ball, and after the 3-3 changeover, she struck 4 consecutive errors to concede the match.
Andreescu played the more contained tennis on the day, striking 18 winners to just 16 unforced errors, while Osaka’s 33 winners, including 7 aces, ultimately were undone by her 36 miscues.
Both broke serve 3 times across the match, and Osaka finished with more points, winning 98 to Andreescu’s 94.
“I never give up,” Andreescu said. “I ran a lot today. More than her for sure. I really wanted it. I really wanted it today and, I think, that made the big difference.”
Qualifier Dalma Galfi will play Bianca Andreescu in the semi-finals
WTAtennis.com
It will be a first meeting between Andreescu and Galfi for a spot in the final on Saturday, and a win would put the Canadian into her first final in two years.
Galfi, a Hungarian qualifier, defeated Aleksandra Krunic from Serbia to reach her second career WTA semi-final, coming from 1-3 down in the first set to win 7-5 6-3 in 84 minutes. Krunic had upset top-seed Jessica Pegula in the 2nd-round.
The other semi-final will see No 2 seed Liudmila Samsonova take on either defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia or American qualifier Robin Montgomery, who have yet to finish their rain-suspended quarter-final after the weather interrupted their match when Montgomery was leading 1-0.
