Bianca deserves better advice

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After not playing for 15 months, Bianca Andreescu needed matches coming into the Australian Open.

But she and her team decided to practice for a week instead of playing a warm-up tournament. 

That decision was an unforced error that led to Bianca’s second round exit in Melbourne. Bianca couldn’t adjust her powerful game to Hsieh Su-Wei’s unorthodox style, and she lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. 

Players at any level know how it feels after a long layoff. The timing, footwork and concentration isn’t there. No amount of practice can substitute for the pressure of making smart decisions under match pressure. 

Bianca suffered from poor shot selection, impatience, frustration and slumping posture. She should have got those bugs out of her system last week during the WTA warm-up event.  

Going forward, Bianca needs to play as much as possible, at any level, to get into the habit of winning. 

She also needs better advice, whether from her coaches, parents or her own inner voice. This is becoming a pattern in Bianca’s otherwise bright career. She’s acquired too many injuries from playing or training too hard and playing instead of resting or recovering. 

In the past, Bianca has proven she can come back better than ever from injuries and long layoffs. She did show flashes of brilliance in Melbourne, and Su-Wei played well enough to beat most opponents. Bianca’s still only 20 years old. She’s got lots of time to work her way back to a championship level. 

(words and images copyright Christopher Johnson Globalite Media all rights reserved)