In Canada this weekend, it’s all eyes on Bianca. From her never-say-die style of play, to her upbeat media spots, to the strides she’s making for tennis in Canada, fans across the country have embraced Bianca Andreescu, as the 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., gets ready to appear in Saturday’s final of the U.S. Open.Many are waiting on history. If Andreescu beats Serena Williams on Saturday, she’ll become the first Canadian to win that Grand Slam tennis title.“It gives me shivers ... and almost brings tears to my eyes,” said Khristina Blajkevitch, the director of marketing and communications at Tennis BC.“We’re living through tennis history right now.”TSN on Friday said that Andreescu’s hard-fought semifinal win over Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic on Thursday night was the most-watched U.S. Open broadcast yet on TSN — attracting an average audience of 995,000 viewers.Blajkevitch was a pro player herself and spent time at the National Training Centre in Montreal, where Andreescu trained. Though she doesn’t know Andreescu personally, Blajkevitch said “it’s absolutely incredible” to see the 19-year-old’s success.It’s a feeling that’s being shared by lovers of the sport nationwide.Liana Morariu recalls watching Andreescu compete in person, at a tournament in Calgary when she was just a child, long before she went pro.Today, Morariu, who’s an employee of the Calgary Tennis Club, says she’s excited about the potential of that still-young athlete bringing more attention to tennis across the country.“I am sure after this, especially with new and young people from Canada playing, we’ll have much more younger people in classes and in lessons.”The Calgary Tennis Club typically organizes a special event for the Wimbledon final, but Morariu expects that a Canadian competing in Saturday’s high-profile match will be a draw f ...
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