Bianca Andreescu of Canada plays a backhand return to Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic during their match on day three at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Bianca Andreescu will face Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine to kick off the Canadian tennis star's National Bank Open. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Kirsty Wigglesworth
TORONTO – Bianca Andreescu will face Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine to kick off the Canadian tennis star’s National Bank Open.
Tennis Canada held the draw for the country’s national championship Saturday for the Toronto-based women’s tournament and the men’s bracket, which goes in Montreal.
Andreescu will be back on the centre court where she won the event as part of a memorable 2019 season that also included her U.S. Open victory.
Top-ranked Canadian Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., will face China’s Zhang Shuai in the first round, which starts Tuesday. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is set to take on Poland’s Magda Linette, while Toronto’s Marina Stakusic will meet a qualifier.
The Toronto tournament saw a number of big names withdraw this week for various reasons, including injuries, fatigue and participation at the Paris Olympics. Coming off a bronze-medal performance at the Summer Games, five-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland is among the players skipping the NBO.
The men’s draw was also held Saturday in Montreal. Hometown favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime – fresh off winning Olympic bronze in mixed doubles alongside Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski – will open his tournament against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.
