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Tennis fans are heartbroken by the horror that unfolded during Bianca Andreescu’s fourth-round match at the Miami Open 2023. The Canadian, who was in striking form in the Floridian city, faced a devastating setback during her match against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova and had to bow out of the tournament in a wheelchair after incurring a freak leg injury.
The incident occurred during the second set of the match. After witnessing a two-hour delay in the rain-affected opening set, Ekaterina Alexandrova managed to take the lead over Bianca Andreescu by clinching the opener in the tiebreak 7-6 (0).
Nonetheless, things started looking up for the 2019 US Open champion as she regrouped herself in the second set to snatch an early break against her opponent (0-2). However, as Ekaterina Alexandrova served for the third game of the set at 40-30, Bianca Andreescu seemed to hurt her lower left leg while changing direction to approach one of the Russian’s returns.
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The young athlete collapsed to the ground screaming and bawling her eyes out in agony.
“Oh My God. Not again!” she cried as she held her leg.
This was the 2021 runner-up’s third injury setback at the Miami Open in as many appearances. In 2019, Bianca Andreescu had to retire mid-match in the fourth round against Anett Kontaveit due to a shoulder injury. Similarly, at the 2021 tournament, the young athlete succumbed to a right ankle injury in the final against Ashleigh Barty.
Tennis fans were left horrified after witnessing the devastating scenes and many shared their reactions to the same.
“This fvcking sport, man Takes you from the tears of joy of a 26-year-old who breaks into the top 100 for the first time, to the tears of pain of a former teenage Grand Slam champ whose body betrays her, again - all in the span of an hour,” one fan said, recalling Christopher Eubank’s heroics from earlier in the day.
"I cried. And now I’m kind of sick to my stomach, wishing there was something I could do for her. Feeling helpless," another fan said.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
"I’m just really sorry that it happened" – Bianca Andreescu’s opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova reacts after Miami Open injury
Ekaterina Alexandrova rushed to be by Bianca Andreescu’s side as the Canadian tennis player collapsed in pain during the Miami Open fourth-round match. The helpless Russian was shaken by the incident and expressed her sentiments after the match.
"I’m just really sorry that it happened to [Andreescu]," Alexandrova said after the match. "Seeing her on the court in so much pain, it’s just painful to watch. You cannot help, you just can do nothing, which is terrible,” Alexandrova said.
She wished the one-time Grand Slam champion a speedy recovery.
“And I think she’s going to be fine soon, and I’m wishing for her speedy recovery,” she added.
Ekaterina Alexandrova was granted a win by default after Andreescu’s retirement. The Russian athlete is through to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open for the first time in her career. In her bid for the semifinal spot, she is set to square off against two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova.
