On Wednesday afternoon in Stadium 1, teen sensation Bianca Andreescu put it all together. Between devastating serves, pinpoint ground strokes and delicate volleys at the net, the 18-year-old Canadian put on a masterclass performance that shattered Garbine Muguruza’s hopes in Tennis Paradise.
The match was seemingly over before attendees could blink, as Andreescu hammered her way to a 6-0, 6-1 trouncing of the No. 20 ranked Spaniard. What was expected to be a thrilling back-and-forth affair between two streaking competitors, turned into a one-sided clinic for all to see. In less than 53 minutes, Andreescu blazed her way into the 2019 BNP Paribas Open semifinals.
While a breakout start to her season has elevated Andreescu to world No. 60, she was still a relative unknown when compared to so many others in the women’s draw. After receiving wild-card entry into the tournament, few could have predicted the magical run she’d undergo this week. Five wins later – including former world No. 4 Dominika Cibulkova, 18th seed Wang Qiang and now former world No. 1 Muguruza, she sits two wins away from the trophy in what would be a tournament for the ages.
On Wednesday, the Canadian achieved her 8th win over a top-50 player in 2019, solidifying her place as one of the sport’s breakout stars. In just over three months she reached the Auckland Open finals with wins over Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, won her first career WTA 125K title at the Oracle Challenger Series Newport Beach and reached the semifinal of the Mexican Open. Now, she’s built upon those accolades by adding a semifinal appearance in Indian Wells to her resumé.
If she carries her recent form into the BNP Paribas Open semifinal, the biggest match of her young career, Andreescu could put together a tournament that tennis fans will never forget.