Injury-replacement Andreescu unable to finish Fed Cup loss to Tsurenko

Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine reuturns to Bianca Andreescu of Canada. (Graham Hughes/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

MONTREAL — Lesia Tsurenko defeated injury-replacement Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont. — who was forced to retire in the third set with an injury — to give Ukraine a 1-0 lead over Canada with a 4-6, 6-3, 4-0 victory in a Fed Cup World Group II playoff on Saturday.

Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., is to face Kateryna Bondarenko in the second match of the best-of-five series later Saturday.

Andreescu was called into action only 15 minutes before the match when Francoise Abanda suffered an eye injury in a fall. The 17-year-old, ranked 197th by the WTA, looked on her way to one of her biggest wins over 41st-ranked Tsurenko, but ran out of energy after winning the first set and taking a 3-1 second-set lead.

Down 4-0 in the third set, Andreescu dropped to the court, apparently suffering from painful cramps. While receiving treatment on court, the chair umpire declared the match over.

Andreescu, who beat then 13th-ranked Kristina Mladenvic at the Citi Open in August, went down 0-2 early in the opening set but battled back with an impressive all-court game while her Ukrainian opponent struggled with her serve.

The spectators packing the grandstands at the temporary 1,800-seat indoor venue at IGA Stadium let out roars as Andreescu gained confidence through the set.

Up a break in the second set, the Canadian double-faulted on break point in the next game as Tsurenko won nine straight games until Andreescu’s injury stopped the match.

The winning country will remain in World Group II next year while the loser drops into zonal play.

A Fed Cup statement said Abanda suffered a periorbital contusion (eye bruise). She is to be evaluated before the Sunday matches to see if she can play.

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