By The Canadian Press on July 31, 2023.
WASHINGTON – Canada’s Bianca Andreescu is out of the Citi DC Open after losing to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the first round on Monday. Andreescu, currently 44th in the WTA rankings, came into the match as the underdog with Kostyuk ranked 34th. The 23-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., lost despite winning 51.7 per cent of the points, largely thanks to a dominant first set. It was Andreescu’s first match of the hard-court season, having last played in a third-round loss to world No. 5 Ons Jabeaur at Wimbledon before taking some time off. Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., plays her first-round match in D.C. on Tuesday against American Bernarda Pera after making it through qualification. Andreescu’s attention now turns to Montreal for the National Bank Open – a tournament she won in 2019 as a precursor to winning the U.S. Open. Her first-round match in Montreal is set for next Tuesday night. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2023. 9