Bianca Andreescu Advances to Libema Open Final

Bianca Andreescu, the Canadian tennis star, continued her comeback from a back injury on Saturday with a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Hungarian qualifier Dalma Galfi in the semifinals of the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

The 2019 U.S. Open champion, Andreescu had been sidelined for nine months due to the injury before making her return at the French Open last month. Ranked No. 228, she has been in impressive form, winning six of her seven matches, with her only loss coming against Jasmine Paolini, a finalist at Roland Garros.

Against Galfi, Andreescu capitalized on 4 of 5 break point opportunities while saving 3 of 4 against her opponent. She now awaits the winner between second-seeded Liudmila Samsonova and third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova for the final showdown.

In another semifinal, Samsonova took the first set 6-3 against Alexandrova, who later saved two match points to level the match by winning the second set 7-6 (1) before darkness suspended play. Their match is set to resume on Sunday before the final.

Rothesay Open

Meanwhile, in Nottingham, England, sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova battled past top seed Ons Jabeur in a thrilling three-setter, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 7-5 in the quarterfinals. The Czech player saved 6 of 7 break points and converted 2 of 4 chances against Tunisia’s Jabeur, despite hitting more double faults than her opponent.

Their match, lasting two hours and 39 minutes, was delayed due to rain but showcased high-level tennis throughout.

In another quarterfinal, Emma Raducanu advanced to the semifinals with a walkover after Francesca Jones withdrew due to a shoulder injury. Raducanu’s semifinal match against defending champion Katie Boulter was suspended due to darkness after Raducanu claimed the first set 7-6 (13).

Additionally, Diane Parry of France secured her spot in the semifinals with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Australia’s Kimberly Birrell earlier in the day. Parry is scheduled to face Pliskova in the semifinals, with both matches set to resume on Sunday, followed by the final.