Bianca Andreescu drops out of WTA Finals with knee injury

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With her left knee heavily strapped, Bianca Andreescu called it quits after a 6-3 first-set loss to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the Canadian's second match of the WTA Finals on Wednesday in Shenzhen, China.In the second game, Andreescu struggled to walk after reaching for a forehand and limped to the bench, where a trainer wrapped her knee. She returned to the court, but proceeded to make several errors and didn't even make an attempt at Pliskova's final serve.Leading 3-2, a tearful Andreescu told Sylvain Bruneau during an on-court coaching break that she had twisted her knee, heard it crack and told the trainer she had injured her meniscus."I don't want to stop," she told Bruneau.Andreescu can't advance to the semifinals of the $14-million US event after dropping her first two matches.On Monday, an ailing Andreescu was tended to by a trainer several times for a back injury in the third set of a three-set loss to Simona Halep in her tournament opener. WATCH | Bianca Andreescu falls to Simona Halep in WTA Finals opener:Earlier this season,the 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., was sidelined for months with a right shoulder problem, and in August was hampered by a groin injury at the Rogers Cup.Andreescu, the world No. 4 ahead of her debut at the season-ending WTA Finals, arrived in Shenzhen with a 48-5 season record and coming off a quarter-final loss to Naomi Osaka at the China Open earlier this month.She was attempting to complete a sensational season with a fourth title following victories at Indian Wells, the Rogers Cup and U.S. Open in New York, where she defeated 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in early September to become the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title.17-match win streakThe loss to Osaka was Andreescu's first on the Tour in six months not counting withdrawals and retirements and halted a 17-match win streak that saw the resident of Thornhill, Ont., soar up the WTA rankings.Andreescu, who opened 2019 ranked outside the top 150, was the first Canadian to play in the WTA Finals since Eugenie Bouchard in 2014.Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, withdrew from the WTA Finals on Tuesday with a right shoulder injury.Pliskova, who lost to Andreescu in three sets in the Rogers Cup quarter-finals at Toronto, next plays Halep, with the winner advancing to the semifinals against defending champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Pliskova, the No. 2 seed, leads the tour this year with four tournament titles.Svitolina gained a semifinal berth earlier Wednesday, defeating Halep 7-5 6-3 in a tough, physical match.
 
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