This week, qualifier Bianca Andreescu has outrun Caroline Wozniacki, out-winnered Venus Williams - and now, the teenage sensation has pulled off the rare feat of out-Hsiehing No.3 seed Hsieh Su-Wei to make her final debut 6-3, 6-3 at the ASB Classic.
Andreescu, playing just her fourth WTA-level main draw, becomes the first qualifier to reach the Auckland final since Marion Maruska's title run in 1997, having now personally dispatched three of the top half's original four seeds.
What has been remarkable about Andreescu's play has been the sheer number of ways in which she can win. The multifaceted Canadian has shown off smooth movement and dogged defence, but also the power and aggressive mindset needed to smack 39 winners against Venus Williams.
But could she deal with the wily idiosyncrasies of the Chinese Taipei No.1, whose bewitching game has tied so many players - old and young - in knots? Andreescu laid down a statement of intent in the very first point of the match: a booming forehand return, followed by a delicate dropshot winner that not even Hsieh could chase down.
This blend of power and touch would serve the 18-year-old well throughout the match - as well as a certain amount of mental toughness in coming through battles such as the nine-minute, five-deuce tussle on her opening serve, in which she fended off three break points and ultimately held with an ace.
Andreescu, playing just her fourth WTA-level main draw, becomes the first qualifier to reach the Auckland final since Marion Maruska's title run in 1997, having now personally dispatched three of the top half's original four seeds.
What has been remarkable about Andreescu's play has been the sheer number of ways in which she can win. The multifaceted Canadian has shown off smooth movement and dogged defence, but also the power and aggressive mindset needed to smack 39 winners against Venus Williams.
But could she deal with the wily idiosyncrasies of the Chinese Taipei No.1, whose bewitching game has tied so many players - old and young - in knots? Andreescu laid down a statement of intent in the very first point of the match: a booming forehand return, followed by a delicate dropshot winner that not even Hsieh could chase down.
This blend of power and touch would serve the 18-year-old well throughout the match - as well as a certain amount of mental toughness in coming through battles such as the nine-minute, five-deuce tussle on her opening serve, in which she fended off three break points and ultimately held with an ace.
