Photo by Matt King/Getty Images
Bianca Andreescu opened with a convincing performance at the prestigious Miami Open on Friday evening, defeating Czech Tereza Martincova 7-6(5), 6-2. It was the Canadian’s first competitive match since the Phillips Island Trophy, a tournament held last month in Melbourne, Australia.
The opening frame was a tale of two sets for Andreescu. A little rusty to start given her recent lack of match play, she saw her opponent jump out to a 5-3 lead, but the native of Mississauga found another gear from that point on. Andreescu broke Martincova to get back on serve at 5-4 and ultimately forced a tiebreak, which she managed to win 7-5 to complete the comeback.
Riding a wave of confidence, Andreescu continued her strong play in set two. She broke serve twice to take a commanding 5-0 lead. In a last-ditch effort, Martincova, ranked at No. 105 in the world, won two straight games for 5-2, but it was too little too late as Andreescu closed out the match in the following game after one hour, 52 minutes of play.
Andreescu advances to the third round where she will face world no. 32 Amanda Anisimova. The 19-year-old American eliminated her compatriot Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 in round two and will be looking to reach the Round of 16 of an event for the first time in 2021. She came close to accomplishing the feat in Dubai earlier this month but lost to an in-form Garbine Muguruza.
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