Bianca Andreescu may well have harkened back to 2021 when she discovered that her first round opponent at AO 2023 was Marie Bouzkova.
The pair duelled at the Phillip Island Trophy at Melbourne Park during week two of the Australian Open, with the Czech displaying her resilience in a semifinal victory over the second seed that lasted three hours, 14 minutes.
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On Monday, Bouzkova was the one higher ranked and seeded but Andreescu prevailed 6-2 6-4 in a relatively quick one hour, 42 minutes.
Only time will tell whether Andreescu can rescale the heights that saw her bag the US Open in 2019. The Canadian trailblazer is intent on getting there, however.
Telling indeed, since Andreescu — still only a tender 22 — admitted that at times she lost her passion for tennis.
She is buoyed by the current women’s hierarchy in the sport, led in the rankings by three-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, and Ons Jabeur.
“I definitely feel inspired by them because they have accomplished so much, and everyone goes through different battles,” said the 43rd-ranked Andreescu.
“So having them at the top is definitely motivating as well because I also want to be there.
“In a way it’s very good. And everyone is very nice as well in the top 10. Everyone is very friendly, and it’s nice to see different faces as well because sometimes I guess a few years back it was always kind of the same people in the top five maybe.”
That’s not to say that Andreescu doesn’t miss Serena Williams, the player she downed to become Canada’s first Grand Slam singles champion.
“I grew up watching her play,” said Andreescu. “I never thought that she was really going to retire. She's kind of one of those players in my eyes.
“But having her actually retire is just so surreal. She's done so much for the sport, for women's tennis and for women in general.
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“So her legacy will Iive on forever. I wish I could have played her one more time. Who knows? Maybe she’ll come back.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles hasn’t completely ruled out a comeback after her exit from the US Open, so the door is slightly ajar.
Andreescu is intent on inspiring and sharing her own story with others. “Bibi’s got game” — released last year — may be a picture book but people of varying ages have enjoyed it, she said.
ANDREESCU: “The biggest thing is trying to love myself as best I can”
“I know it's specific to children, but I've heard many comments from 40-year-olds, 50-year-olds, that they've gotten something out of it,” said Andreescu.
“It's basically just about my life in a way and how I tackle hurdles. I talk a lot about my injuries and how I never gave up, and I have amazing people around me, like my family and my little doggy Coco that supported me throughout the whole time,” the Toronto native continued, referring to her beloved poodle that witnessed the New York heroics.
“A lot of people have said they're just very inspired by how I dealt with all the hurdles in my short career. And to me that means a lot because there were many moments where I did not necessarily want to give up, but I was just having a really hard time, like getting out of bed and practising and picking up a tennis racquet.”
Andreescu continues to practise meditation daily and also visualisation, including how she intends to carry out tactics on court and thinking about “maybe something not going my way and trying to [fix] that and to going my way. And then I'll always visualise myself winning the match at the end.”
Winning against Spain’s world No.100 Cristina Bucsa on Wednesday could mean a blockbuster with Swiatek — another player who utilises visualisation techniques.
She would achieve a personal milestone at Melbourne Park, having never advanced to the third round at the Australian Open or at any Grand Slam outside New York.