Bianca Andreescu's comeback after a 15-month absence ended abruptly in the Australian Open second round on Wednesday with a 3-6, 2-6 defeat to the wily Hsieh Su-wei from Chinese Taipei, but the Canadian leaves Melbourne Park glad as her "fighting spirit" is alive.
Bianca Andreescu of Canada shows her frustration during Round 2 of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, February 10, 2021. /CFP
Former U.S. Open champion Andreescu savored an emotional first-up win against lucky loser Mihaela Buzarnescu on Monday but hit a brick wall in the form of Hsieh in the early match at Rod Laver Arena.
"I got off the court and I was looking at my coach, and I said I'm just disappointed that today that was my all because I know I gave my all today and to me I think that was the most disappointing part," 20-year-old Andreescu told reporters.
"I didn't put expectations on myself. There's always unconscious expectations for sure, but verbal expectations, not really.
"So I'm just going to take this as a learning curve and bounce back for the next tournament."
Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei returns the ball during Round 2 of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, February 10, 2021. /CFP
Andreescu, who stunned the tennis world by beating Serena Williams for the 2019 title at Flushing Meadows, attacked Hsieh with her usual gusto but Hsieh, double-handed on both side, was brilliant in defense and confounded the Canadian with an array of drop-shots and angled winners.
With no apparent 'Plan B', eighth seed Andreescu doubled down on the power game and the unforced errors piled up as she slumped to a 5-2 deficit in the second set and then bowed out meekly with a double-fault on match point.
Prior to Australia, Andreescu had not played since the 2019 WTA Finals in Shenzhen and was one of 72 players unable to train during their 14-day hard quarantine in Melbourne.
Adding to the challenges, her coach Sylvain Bruneau tested positive for COVID-19 after landing in Australia last month.
Bianca Andreescu of Canada returns the ball during Round 2 of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, February 10, 2021. /CFP
Yet there were no excuses from Andreescu, unlike a number of players who blamed inadequate preparations for their exits.
"I know that my preparation was the best preparation that I think I've ever had," said Andreescu. "So I feel confident with that.
"I think now it's just getting back into play, and it's good to know that I still have that fighting spirit in me.
"I'm able to give it my all on the court. I think you see that more in the first match than this match, but also being healthy.
"I feel really good. After my first round, I thought I would feel more exhausted, but I felt amazing."