Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, returns a shot to Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns a shot to Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns a shot to Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, celebrates after winning a game against Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, celebrates after defeating Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. Andreescu won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, returns a shot to Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns a shot to Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, returns a shot to Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A fan holds up a flag for Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, during the women’s final between Andreescu and Angelique Kerber, of Germany, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angelique Kerber, of Germany, returns a shot to Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, returns a shot to Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, returns a shot to Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, left, talks with her coach during the women’s final against Angelique Kerber, of Germany, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, celebrates during the women’s final against Angelique Kerber, of Germany, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, celebrates after defeating Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. Andreescu won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, celebrates after defeating Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. Andreescu won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Angelique Kerber, of Germany, left, greets Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, after Andreescu won the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. Andreescu won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, celebrates after defeating Angelique Kerber, of Germany, during the women’s final at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Indian Wells, Calif. Andreescu won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
INDIAN WELLS — Bianca Andreescu, the 18-year-old Canadian who started the calendar year ranked 178th, made her first WTA singles title a big one. Andreescu put away No. 8 Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to win the women’s singles championship at the BNP Paribas Open, finishing it off on the fourth match point when Kerber put an Andreescu return into the net.
Andreescu will be 24th in this week’s world rankings, an amazing turnaround for a player who made it to Indian Wells as a wild card after winning an Oracle Challenger event in Newport Beach. This was her first appearance at Indian Wells, and she was the first wild card to reach the final and the youngest woman to reach a final here since Kim Clijsters, who was runner-up here in 2001.
Andreescu, who battled cramps in her semifinal victory over Elina Svitolina Friday, needed two more medical timeouts in the third set Sunday, with trainers applying ice to both legs. Afterward, she thanked the tournament physiotherapists, saying, “Without you guys, I’d be in pieces right now.”
Still to come: The men’s final between Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem.
