It took mere minutes for Bianca Andreescu to win a history-making title at the Rogers Cup in what will go down as an anti-climactic celebration.
The 19-year-old became the first Canadian to win on home soil in 50 years, but it wasn’t how anyone wanted the marquee event to unfold.
Just 19 minutes into the opening set, Andreescu’s opponent, three-time Rogers Cup champion Serena Williams, retired from the match. The 37-year-old American was trailing 3-1 at the time.
Williams was apparently felled by a back problem.
“You are truly a champion,” Andreescu said of Williams after accepting the trophy.
“I’m speechless right now. I’m just truly, truly blessed right now.”
Andreescu gets a tidy $521,530 in take-home prize money and her name on the trophy – the first to win it since Fay Urban Mlacak in 1969 – but the air was certainly taken out of the sold-out Aviva Centre when Williams broke down in tears, apparently unable to continue.
“Thank you, guys,” Williams said as she fought through tears during the trophy presentation. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it today. It’s been a tough year, but we’ll keep going.”
It will go in the books as Andreescu’s second career WTA Tour title. She won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., in March.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019