Bianca Andreescu of Canada hurts ankle at Miami Open, leaves in wheelchair

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 28 (UPI) -- Bianca Andreescu's inspired run at the 2023 Miami Open, which included upsetting Maria Sakkari, ended in tears, as the No. 31 women's tennis player hurt her ankle and was wheeled off the court.

No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia beat the Canadian 7-6 (7) in the first set of their Round of 16 match Monday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Andreescu jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second set. She went to her right for a return, while down 40-15, but collapsed on her way to the ball.

Andreescu rolled on the ground, holding her left ankle. She screamed in pain as medical personnel ran in to assist.

"I've never felt this kind of pain before," Andreescu could be heard saying on the Tennis Channel broadcast.

Andreescu, forced to retire from the match, was put onto a wheelchair and wheeled off the court. Alexandrova now will play No. 12 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Kvitova beat No. 54 Varvara Gracheva of Russia 7-5, 7-6 (7) in her fourth-round match.

The winner of the Alexandrova-Kvitova match will meet No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or No. 74 Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the Miami Open women's singles semifinals.

No. 24 Martina Trevisan of Italy will face No. 7 Elena Rybakina of Russia in the first women's quarterfinal Tuesday afternoon in Miami Gardens. No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States will face No. 26 Anastasia Potapova of Russia in another Tuesday quarterfinal.

The Miami Open women's singles final will be at 3 p.m. EDT Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. The men's final will be at 1 p.m. Sunday on the same court. Those matches will air on the Tennis Channel.