Andreescu's Late Withdrawal Costs Saville Spot In Cincinnati Open Draw

Sunday, 14 August 2022 at 12:05

Updated at Thursday, 14 November 2024 at 17:53

byJordan Reynolds

Bianca Andreescu decided to withdraw late from the Cincinnati Open, but that decision was agonizing for Daria Saville, who missed out on the main draw.

The Canadian's move was surprising. She returned to the sport in April after an injury and has been consistently playing tournaments, achieving some good results in the last few months.

Andreescu's best achievement since returning from injury was reaching the final of the Bad Homburg Open. Despite winning the opening set, she narrowly lost the final in three sets to Caroline Garcia.

The 2019 US Open champion's last match was on home soil at the Canadian Open. After an impressive performance, Qinwen Zheng silenced the fans by overcoming her in three sets.

Andreescu was expected to play at the Cincinnati Open but unexpectedly withdrew from the WTA 1000 tournament in Ohio. How late Andreescu's decision was had consequences for Saville.

The Australian explained on Twitter that if players withdraw from the main draw before the qualifying starts, then players from the alternative list enter the draw, and Saville was the No. 1 alternate.

"If anyone form main draw pulls out before qualifying matches start then players from the alternate list get in. Matches started today at 10 so had to be just before then. And I was first alternate."

Coming so close to entering the main draw must have been a bitter pill to swallow for Saville, but she insisted she was not upset with Andreescu, despite also saying that situation often happens.

"I am not even salty… but yea happens all the time."

Saville elected to not play in the Cincinnati Open qualifying. Instead, the Australian announced she would instead travel to New York and play at an ITF event being held in the same city as the US Open.