MIAMI, FL, USA - Bianca Andreescu's excellent adventure came to an untimely close on Sunday as a nagging right shoulder injury became too much against No.21 seed Anett Kontaveit.
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Arriving to press in an oversized Nike sweatshirt, the Canadian teenager was so much in the present that she'd hardly looked back on her phenomenal four weeks at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open.
"Well, now I'm pretty upset with what happened today, so I wasn't really looking back at my time at Indian Wells," she said, before brightening in countenance. "But I guess, now that you mentioned it, I really can't complain with what I have achieved. It's been an incredible run, a Cinderella story, like a lot of you guys said. It's a dream come true, so I'm really pleased."
Andreescu was fresh off a full circle victory over Angelique Kerber, overcoming the reigning Wimbledon champion for the second time in two weeks - having beaten her to win the BNP Paribas Open - well after midnight on Sunday.
It was after that match that the 18-year-old admitted to feeling tightness in her right shoulder, a pain that only got worse as she began her clash with Kontaveit.
"I tried to get as much treatment as I can. I thought it would be okay, but obviously it just got worse as the match progressed.
"I have played so many matches. I guess this is just a way of my body telling me that it's had enough. The physios and the doctor said that it's nothing too serious, but the pain is there, and I couldn't continue today."
Unlikely to play the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, the tentatively new World No.23 has committed to play an upcoming Fed Cup World Group Play-off tie against the Czech Republic.
From there, there shouldn't much slowing down for Andreescu, who considers clay to be among her favorite surfaces. She narrowly missed out on making her Roland Garros main draw debut last spring; knocking out top seed Vera Lapko, she fell in the final round of qualifying to Richel Hogenkamp.
"I think my game really suits clay. I love sliding on the court," she said, adding with a laugh, "I mean, I slide on every court, but it's easier on clay! It's easier on the body, too. So I'm looking forward to it."
In the meantime, Andreescu will head home and likely reward herself with a well-earned shopping spree.
"What do you do with 1.3 million?" she asked with a smile. "I'm not just going to leave it there! I wanted a Louis V purse with my first actual big prize money. So I'll probably get one."
